Treading The Edge
by Kyyrin
Summary: Vincent's health deteriorates after being soaked by the ice cold rain in Edge. Will he allow his friends to help him, or will he push them away? Set in the midst of DoC. There are massive spoilers for the game. Don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy!
1. Edge

_**Treading the Edge**_

Written during the events of DoC. I let a little more time pass between Vincent's arrival at the WRO headquarters, and the attack from Deepground. Vincent's thoughts are in italics

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy. Any of it. As much as I would like to……..but no one gets everything they want. I used the mostly the exact dialogue from Dirge of Cerberus. People, if you've played the game you **will** know where I have added my own dialogue and events. Once again, I **am** disclaiming.

This is my first attempt at...hopefully good fanfiction. Actually also the first time I worked up the guts to post it somewhere. Moving right along then...enjoy

Oh, and I quite forgot. This is **not** a Vincent/Reeve in any form. A Vincent and Reeve friendship perhaps, but nothing more. I'm quite a fan of Vincent/Lucrecia actually. Though I am kinda aiming at a Reeve/Shalua. Well, we'll see where that goes.

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**Chapter One**

Vincent Valentine sneezed wetly into his hand, sighing softly afterwards.

As if he didn't have enough on his plate already.

Having been all but begged to continue on to Edge by Reeve, he had realized he had no choice in the matter. He came, and was greeted by a torrential downpour of ice-cold rain, as well as the beautiful Shalua Rui, a scientist working for the WRO. After she'd left, saying she had to search for "her reason to live", he'd gone on to search for survivors.

A pained expression crossed his face. Seeing her had reminded him so much of Lucrecia that it hurt.

At first, his thick cloak had kept the wetness to a minimum, but as hours had passed, the rain had soaked through, and he had been, and was still, chilled to the bone.

Hojo had made the point of making him immune to illnesses such as Cancer, the Geostigma, and all the other potentially fatal diseases. But insignificant illnesses such as the flu, or the common cold, hell, even mild pneumonia, Hojo had purposely left out. A form of torture, most likely, because not even transforming into one of the four demons he housed, would cure a cold.

He had been walking around in the pouring rain all day, and most of the night, speaking

to a dying WRO member, killing monsters and DG snipers, and had even rescuing a little boy from the clutches of Deepground.

He assumed it was now early morning.

It had been close to one am after he had saved the child, and he had made his way to the warehouse, hoping he might find a place to get a bit of rest. This was not to be.

A Heavily Armed Soldier had greeted him, along with a group of snipers, one of which had shot a bullet that had torn through his shoulder. In his rage, he had transformed into the Galian Beast, and had torn apart everything in sight. Changing back, he found the enemies to be dead, his wound healed, but his clothes still soaked through.

Exhausted, he had curled up behind one of the many crates that adorned the room, and fallen into a fitful slumber, knowing that Chaos was bound to wake him, should something be amiss. At least the demon was good for something.

Surprisingly, Chaos let him sleep a good five hours, before becoming restless again.

He had awoken with a start, shivering, and had been dismayed to realize that he had become awfully ill.

In those five hours, he seemed to have managed to catch the worst kind of cold possible. Not that he was surprised. Sleeping in a frigid warehouse wearing sopping wet clothing would tend to do that to a person. But why now, when he had more important things to do?

He had a marvelous headache, his throat was raw and sore, he nose was streaming accompanied by the tingling feeling of having to sneeze any moment, and he felt hot and cold at the same time. He guessed he was running a fever, but the chills could also be due to his still soaked clothing.

His aching bones screamed in protest as he stood, shakily, having to support himself on one of the crates. Planet, he hated feeling this weak. It was like adding insult to injury, he thought disgustedly.

Not only did he have to fight this Deepground scum, but now he had a nasty cold to help him on his way. _"Great"_, he noted sarcastically.

Now he stood there, and sneezed pathetically into his gloved hand.

He distracted himself by returning his attention to the reason that Chaos had roused him.

An enemy was near, and quite possibly waiting outside the next door. He needed to prepare for a fight.

Uncorking a high potion, he downed it, hoping it would help ease the symptoms a bit. And it did. But not the extent he would have liked. Potions weren't meant for curing illnesses.

He stretched, winching at his aching muscles.

Readying his Cerberus, he walked out the next door, and into the steady downpour of icy rain.

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I'm made happy by any reviews...even if they're flames. Constructive criticism and all...


	2. The Crimson

**Disclaimer:** I find these things so damn useless. I really don't own Final Fantasy. Please see Chapter One.

Thank you for the reviews. Made me happy that my first fic is liked

Wow. I just found out you can insert a dividing line while editing. Man, I'm slow today...

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"You know, this is the first time I've ever felt rain on my skin", came the sultry, smooth voice, with an accent he couldn't place.

He had walked out to find……her…….standing in the middle of what seemed like a dead end, staring up at the sky and letting the rain wash over her. He was painfully aware of the many bodies of WRO soldiers that were littered around her.

"But then again, I hadn't even seen the sky until a few days ago."

Vincent stared at her without emotion, as was his trademark.

"So you're Vincent Valentine", she purred, turning to face him. "Keeper of the Protomateria".

"Proto…..materia?", Vincent muttered hoarsely. That didn't sound familiar. He owned no materia with that name.

"Yes. The key to controlling Omega", she continued, advancing on him.

"We know you have it." She was in front of him now.

"Hand it over now, and I'll kill you quickly."

Vincent glared at her, a fierce, disgusted look playing in his tired, crimson eyes. Even if he possessed whatever she seemed to think he had, there was no way in hell he would hand it over to her just like that.

She let out a hollow chuckle.

"Not one to bargain, are we?"

Her tone changed.

"Then I'll make sure you suffer."

With dizzying speed, she appeared behind him, twin blades raised.

He turned, and avoiding each one of her swipes with practiced ease, before rolling out of the way. Standing, he dodged expertly as she fired at him with the guns that were built into her dual swords.

Turning, he ran to a nearby stack of crates, and proceeded to hop to the top of them, leaping at her from above.

The shots of her guns caught him in midair, and flung him back through one of the walls.

He cursed. In his current state, he couldn't expect to fight her and live through it. So he turned to his last resort. He pulled Chaos out from the deep recesses of his mind, letting the demon take over his body, but still remaining in control.

The women wore a faint look of surprise, as he stepped, transformed, out of the rubble.

He roared, and released a powerful energy attack, that usually extinguished every form of life in a radius of 200 meters. Or so he had been told.

The women tried to defend herself, but, giving weak, defiant shouts, she was blown away like the rest of the objects that stood in his way.

* * *

Vincent groaned.

He had lost all sense of time.

He had no idea how long he had been Chaos.

And the symptoms of his cold had returned with a hell bent vengeance.

He was exhausted. All the energy had been drained from his body, by transforming into Chaos in his ill and weakened state.

He collapsed onto the muddy, wet ground, panting heavily.

He recalled seeing a pair of feet, whose owner wore a lab coat, walking towards him.

Lucrecia? No. His mind was playing tricks on him. It couldn't be.

She was gone, and it had been his fault.

This was his last thought before he succumbed to darkness.

* * *

He was in the cave with her again.

"Lucrecia", he murmured.

"……sorry……", came the far away whisper from her crystal encased form.

"Why?", he asked. He had no idea what Lucrecia needed to be sorry for. It had been all his fault after all.

"Awake—", came her voice again, this time a bit clearer.

"Awake?", her repeated, more confused than before.

He continued to gaze at her entombed form lovingly.

Yes, it had been all his fault.

Before the dream ended, he heard her distant voice in the back of his mind.

"I'm so sorry".

* * *

He was carried into another dream.

This time, of his past.

He stood before Hojo, angrily.

"Talk! Why did you let this happen?", he demanded, advancing on the man.

"Silence!", came Hojo's high-pitched nasal voice. He carried a gun.

"You….". Vincent noticed that the voice of his younger self was filled with indescribable rage.

"SILENCE!", Hojo screeched, lifting the gun, and proceeding to shoot Vincent in the chest.

His younger self gave a strangled gasp of pain, and collapsed to the floor before Hojo's feet.

In his pain-filled mind, he heard Hojo continuing to speak.

"Why can't these people just keep quiet?"

The next words that Hojo spoke were only partially registered in his fading consciousness.

"I can…body…next experiment…a genius…I am…success here…justify…failures…", Hojo proclaimed, laughing manically at the idea.

This was all Vincent heard, before his world went black.

* * *

He regained consciousness again in Hojo's lab, his vision swimming.

His heart beat wildly in his chest. He stared at his hands.

His body was beginning to change. Four snarling entities were worming their way into his consciousness.

He let out a cry of anguish and pain, before the demons in his mind took hold of him.

The last memory he had was waking up in a giant testing tube, to see Lucrecia peering up at him in concern.

* * *

I've decided to be nice and update twice today. I'm in a good mood...toodles!


	3. Headquarters

**Disclaimer:** Please don't make me repeat myself. See previous chapters.

So. I'm going to try not to make Reeve and Shalua OOC's if I can help it. I really like them both and I'm just going to try and elaborate on their personalities and characters. And I fervently hope I haven't made Vincent OOC...

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy!

**Chapter Three**

Vincent awoke slowly in a healing tube, feeling somewhat less exhausted, but still very sick.

A confidant voice broke his thoughts.

"Well, look who's awake."

He looked down into the smiling face of the scientist he had met earlier.

Shalua Rui.

Turning his head from side to side, he tried to recognize his surroundings.

"Hold on. I'll release you", came Shalua's voice.

Draining the tube of the healing concoction, she opened the door and he stepped out,

dripping wet. _"How pleasant"_, he thought. _"Soaked again."_

"Where am I?", he managed hoarsely. His sore throat felt worse than before.

"Safe inside the WRO headquarters", Shalua stated, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"I carried you back here from Edge after you collapsed during your fight with Deepground." She paced back and forth in front of him, stopping abruptly.

"It seems like the beast inside you went a little wild back there. This happen often?", she asked flippantly, putting a hand or her hip and giving him a quizzical look.

He hung his head, jet-black strands of hair falling into his face.

"Went wild?" he said quietly. "Do you mean Chaos?"

"Chaos?!?", she exclaimed disbelievingly, startled out of her relaxed stance. "Your body harbors the Chaos gene?", she demanded, looking at him in wonder.

Then she relaxed again, assuming her pacing.

"Ohhhhh. So that explains your relationship with Dr. Lucrecia Crescent", she mused with a knowing glance.

She turned suddenly.

"Were you the product of one of her experiments?", she asked as if it were nothing.

His eyes widened as he turned to her.

"Lucrecia's……experiments?", he questioned, looking at the floor. He had never felt so ashamed in his life. He was the product of an experiment?

"I apologize", came Shalua's remorseful reply. "That wasn't what I meant."

"_Then what did you mean?"_, Vincent thought distantly. He spoke slowly, taking his sweet time.

"Wait….Lucrecia……was researching…….Chaos?", he muttered unbelieving.

Shalua looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief written all over her pretty features.

"Don't tell me…..you didn't know…."

She moved to the nearest of the many computers in the room, and proceeded to type something in. Shortly afterwards, Lucrecia's file appeared on the monitor.

"Crescent. Shinra class A scientist specializing in biotechnology", she rattled off. "In her research thesis, 'The Planet's Pulse', she refers to Chaos as one of the sentient xenoforms residing among us. However, the theories that she presented in her work were so abstract and complex, that no one at Shinra took her seriously………."

Vincent wasn't listening anymore.

As she continued to speak, he moved closer to the monitor, staring longingly and sadly at the picture of Lucrecia.

Again, he heard her voice in his head.

"I'm so sorry…….awaken……"

His thoughts were reeling.

Shalua chose this moment to pause in her rant.

Seeing Vincent staring blankly at the screen, she looked at him in concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Can I…..see that thesis?", he inquired quietly, as if he was asking for something forbidden.

"Unfortunately, no", Shalua continued as he looked up at her. "On top of being obscure, it was never even submitted to the Shinra database. All I know is what I saw while going through the company's archives", she said, with an apologetic look on her face.

As if to purposely disturb them, the main door opened, and Reeve walked in briskly.

"Vincent!", he exclaimed, the relief he felt at seeing his friend back on his feet evident in his voice. "Have you recovered already?"

"_No"_, Vincent thought, shivering. _"I feel like something the cat dragged in times ten now, thanks for asking."_

But he kept his thoughts to himself, and gave Reeve a small nod signaling that he was fine.

Reeve walked in, looking him up and down, as if checking to make sure he really was all right.

"What happened, Vincent?", he asked, "When Shalua dragged you in here, you looked half dead. You've had me worried sick ever since".

Vincent sighed. Glancing at his friend, he noticed Reeve did look pretty worried. He decided to let him have the rare occasion of reassurance.

"I fine, Reeve", he rasped quietly. "You worry too much".

Reeve gave him a small smile. "So tell me what happened", he probed. "I'm curious, as always."

Vincent allowed himself a small smirk, despite his discomfort. That was a true statement. Reeve was sometimes curious to the point of becoming almost as annoying as Yuffie.

Clearing his throat painfully, Vincent proceeded to retell the series of events he'd experienced in Edge.

By the end of his story, he was left wishing he'd made it shorter. His throat was now so sore he could barely swallow.

Shalua had moved to sit by the computer again, arms propped up on the table, supporting her head. Reeve was pacing back and forth behind her. It was not long before he started to speak.

"So Rosso the Crimson told you that Protomateria is the 'key to controlling Omega'?"

"Yeah", Vincent muttered, straightening up a bit. He ached to sit down. He would give just about anything for a bit of rest. Five hours of restless sleep wasn't enough for a man that fought battles everyday and had barely slept since he had been in Kalm, a week ago. Even though he needed less sleep than a normal person, working for Reeve was exhausting.

Reeve looked down at Shalua. "Any ideas?", he asked.

A different expression crossed Shalua's face. Almost as if she was remembering something, she spoke as though in a trance.

"Soul wrought of Terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream, to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos. Omega's squire to the lofty heavens." She trailed off, leaving Reeve and Vincent looking at her expectantly.

Reeve was the first to speak.

"Where did you…?"

"A passage from Dr. Crescent's thesis", Shalua cut it. "But, that's all I know. Unfortunately, I only saw a fragment of the document. However, Chaos…Omega…and…", she trailed off, and looked up at Vincent.

"…All seem to be connected to Dr. Crescent in some way. There's no other explanation. I think we'll need to gather more data on her to get anywhere."

Vincent was in turmoil. Lucrecia? Involved in all this? He couldn't comprehend it. What right did she have to experiment on him, if Shalua's assumptions had been correct?

He didn't know what to believe. He desperately wanted to believe the fact that Lucrecia was innocent. But now, he wasn't so sure anymore.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice as Reeve walked up beside him and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Vincent, are you **sure** you're alright?", he asked with concern, stressing the word 'sure'.

"_Yes, Reeve, I'm splendid"_, he thought sarcastically_. "As splendid as you would be, had you just been informed that the now crystal entombed women that you still love more than life itself had experimented on you and let a particularly bloodthirsty demon loose in your mind."_

Vincent sighed, and opened his mouth to give another lie of reassurance, when his health picked that point to deliver an overdue punishment for overexerting himself.

He coughed harshly, and fell forward, passing out before he hit the floor.

The last thing he heard was Reeve calling his name in panic.

* * *

Cliffhanger. I know. Kill me now. Although it probably won't be one for the people that have played the game. I'm on the 35th page of this story at the moment, so I'll probably update regularly, if I'm not too busy. Ciao! 


	4. Concern

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim... (see previous chapters).

So. I have attempted to give Cait Sith an Irish or Scottish accent. In any case, which ever one he sports in the game, and in Advent Children. I hope it's not too...well I guess Cait idn't very easy to make OOC. So I don't have to worry. Do I?

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Somewhere in the bowels of Deepground, a young girl sat a computer, working away silently. She had short brown hair, and large blue eyes, that seemed slightly vacant. She wore a charcoal training suit that was covered in glowing blue streaks, with a pair of hand-held energy sabers tucked into the crossed holsters on her back.

As she worked, the giant man called Azul walked into the room.

"What is the status of our keeper?", he asked in a deep, rumbling voice that made some objects close to him vibrate.

The girl responded in a voice as vacant as her indigo eyes.

"His location remains unchanged since the confrontation. We can assume this is the WRO headquarters", she answered in her emotionless monotone.

The Cerulean let out a short, deep laugh.

"Good", he mused. "Two birds with one stone".

He turned and left the way he had come.

Once the large man was out of sight, the girl stood and picked up the orange, glowing orb of materia that lay on the table beside her. Staring at in pensively for a moment, she tucked it into the holster of one of her sabers.

Walking to the door where Azul had exited, she proceeded to follow him.

* * *

Vincent awoke to a throbbing headache, and horribly clogged up sinuses. He felt like he was on fire, yet he was also so cold, he was shivering. He made an attempt to sit up, only to be pushed back down by a gentle, but firm hand.

"Don't even try, Vincent", came a seemingly far-away, vaguely concerned voice that he recognized as Reeve's. "You're running a fever so high, it's a wonder you were even able to stand for as long as you did!"

"Whad?", he muttered in a hoarse, congested voice. He blinked to clear his vision, and then surveyed his surroundings. His nose tingled, and he weakly brought his hand up to fend of the sneezes he knew would soon follow.

He realized he had been changed out of his soggy clothing, and into a pair of warm pajamas. Looking around, he came to the conclusion that he was lying in the bed of a comfortable looking room. Probably Reeve's, no doubt, he mused silently, noting the many stuffed Cait Sith's that adorned the shelves.

He looked up at Reeve, who was now sporting a rather hurt expression.

"Why did you lie to me, Vincent?", the hurt evident in his voice. "If you had told me you were ill I would have made sure you got the best of care!" The look of concern had returned to his face.

Vincent looked away. _"That's so easy for you to say, Reeve"_, he thought distantly. _"Comparing our personalities is like comparing night and day. I'm not one for admitting to weakness easily, let alone accepting care."_

"I didn't bean to worry you, Reeve", he murmured genuinely, his usual monotone marred by a wheeze. It was the truth. He hadn't intended to hurt his friends' feelings.

He tensed, and succumbed to the harsh sneezing fit that had been threatening to burst out during the last few minutes of conversation.

Burying his face into the pillows he sneezed violently several times, nose and eyes streaming afterwards.

"Excuse be", he muttered congestedly.

Reeve chuckled softly, and handed him a handkerchief.

"Sounds like you've caught quite a nasty cold", he stated sympathetically. More lightheartedly, he proclaimed,

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where the great Vincent Valentine lies prone before me, weakened by a miniscule flu bug!"

Vincent gave Reeve the best version of a death glare he could muster in his condition.

Reeve laughed and continued on.

"But seriously, Vincent. I never thought you could get sick."

Vincent grimaced. _"Well you thought wrong, Reeve."_

"How did it happen?"

This was the question that Vincent had been afraid of. He didn't want to answer for fear of making Reeve feel guilty for sending him to Edge, even though couldn't be blamed for it.

"Come on, Vincent. Spit it out!", Reeve said, chuckling. "I'm not going to bite your head off!"

Vincent sighed and relented.

"I guess I was…….out in the rain a little to long in Edge", he voiced softly, hoping Reeve wouldn't feel too bad.

His hopes were dashed when and extreme expression of guilt crossed Reeve's face.

"What?…..Oh Planet…..I'm sorry, Vincent! It's all my fault…….."

Vincent tried to think of something comforting to say, but he had never been good at that sort of thing.

"…………for sending you to Edge without a raincoat!"

Vincent's head snapped up and he stared at his friend bug-eyed.

Reeve's eyes twinkled with laughter.

"I said I shouldn't have sent you to Edge without a raincoat!" His guilty expression had vanished, and was now replaced by one of mirth.

Vincent let out a relieved breath, and before he could hold himself back, he gave his friend a small smile.

Reeve laughed. "I was hoping I'd bring one of those out of you!", he stated chuckling.

Vincent gave an exasperated sigh. "Reeve, even if you had given me a raincoat, you know I wouldn't have worn it."

"Not even if it had been red and black?"

Vincent gave a soft snort of amusement. Why for the love of the Planet did all people think that his favorite colors were red and black? Yes, it was basically all he wore, but just because he wore them, didn't mean they were his favorites. They just seemed to fit his mood and personality. For all everyone knew, his favorite color could be hot pink! (it wasn't). But they never asked. They just assumed, as usual. He was rather fond of the colors silver and amber, actually. Amber. The color of Lucrecia's hair. His broken heart ached, but he answered his friend all the same.

"No Reeve. Not even if it had been red and black."

"I was afraid of that. But at least then it wouldn't have been my fault that you're sick!", he stated jokingly.

Vincent gave a small laugh and relaxed on the pillows. Although he was still feeling awful, Reeve had made most of his morose mood dissipate for the time being.

Luckily for Vincent, Reeve had decided to stop the game of twenty questions, his gaze of worry returning.

"I'd be happy to let you stay here until you've recovered, Vincent. In fact, I don't think I'll take no for an answer. You're worse off than Yuffie when she's airsick! And that's something to say……"

Vincent opened his mouth to protest, but the only sound that came out were a series of rough coughs that left him wheezing afterwards.

Reeve frowned. It almost sounded like Vincent had caught pneumonia. He gave a sigh of defeat. "Well, if you're not going to stay in bed for your own sake, then at least do it for mine. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you while you were up and about as ill as you are."

Vincent sighed, considering Reeve's offer for a moment. It was inviting. He could do with a bit of rest, and he had no intention of making Reeve feel guiltier than he already felt. Shalua had said he was safe here. He decided to give in.

"Fine, Reeve. I'll rest. But if there is a threat from Deepground, you won't be able to keep me here long."

Reeve grinned at the fact that he had been able to persuade his friend to stay in bed at least for the time being.

"No need to worry. The headquarters are heavily armed. With all our soldiers, we probably won't even need you", he joked.

"Thanks, Reeve. It's nice to feel wanted", Vincent deadpanned, only succeeding in making his friend's grin broaden.

Reeve stood up, and turned to go.

"I have some things to take care of. I'll be back later. Shalua will probably come in and check on you as well. Here."

Reeve whistled into the hallway outside the open bedroom door. Seconds later, a bouncy Cait Sith appeared, and proceeded to hop onto the bed, curling up at Vincent's feet.

"I'll leave Cait with you. So if you need anything, tell him and he'll come get me." Vincent nodded, grateful for the warmth on his ice cold feet, and sneezed suddenly into the crook of his arm.

"Bless you…..", Reeve murmured sympathetically.

It was disheartening for him to see his usually strong, independent friend in this condition. Reeve really felt for him. If it wasn't enough that Deepground was hunting Vincent, he was now terribly ill on top of that. He frowned. Vincent's cough sounded bad, not to mention he had a frighteningly high fever. He made a mental note to send a WRO doctor to check him out later in the day.

"I don't need your pity, Reeve", came Vincent's quiet monotone.

Reeve started, and looking him straight in the eye, remarked, "Well you certainly look pretty pitiful at the moment, Valentine." He gestured to Vincent's running, red nose and shivering form.

"Get some sleep. It'll do you good." And with that, Reeve left the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Vincent ignored Reeve's previous comment, but took him up on his offer, and got comfortable. Rolling onto his side, he felt Cait shift and murmur, "Sleep well, lad".

Eyes drooping, he let himself fall into a relatively dreamless slumber.

* * *

Yes, I know. Poor Vincent. I don't hate him. I actually really like him. Believe me. 


	5. Oatmeal

**Disclaimer: **You all know where to look if you're interested.

I'll try the Reeve/Shalua...I really will. I suppose it'll work somehow.

Thanks for the reviews!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Five**

A few hours later, the intercom in Shalua Rui's lab, crackled to life.

"Shalua? It's me, Reeve. Would you do me a favor and check on Vincent? Maybe bring him something to eat. Like……oatmeal perhaps?"

Shalua smirked. Oatmeal? Reeve had such amazing common sense. Did he really think Vincent Valentine would eat oatmeal?

Her expression sobered, as she stood and made her way to the WRO canteen. It had scared the wits out of her when Vincent had collapsed. It was so sudden that she hadn't been expecting it. Now she felt guilty that she hadn't noticed he was unwell early on. She had assumed that whatever he had, the healing tube had taken care of. Apparently, that had not been the case.

Reaching the canteen, she paused and strolled around, looking for something that Vincent might eat. Spotting a ham and cheese sandwich with crusty brown bread, she snatched it up, and made her way to Reeve's quarters, where Vincent was staying.

Oatmeal. Planet, Reeve. You may be an intelligent man, but sometimes you're so simple minded.

Turning the corner into the hallway that led to Reeve's room, she nearly fell over a frantic looking Cait Sith. She voiced her surprise.

"Cait! What…..?"

"Shalua! You have to help me, lass! It's Vincent! The poor lad is in an awful bad way! His fever's got him half delirious, it has! I'm going to get Reeve!"

The cat frantically ran in the direction of Reeve's whereabouts, and Shalua snapped out of her daze and picked up the pace to get to Vincent.

Flinging open the door, she saw him, tossing and turning in bed, mumbling incoherently.

"Shit", she muttered under her breath. All but throwing the sandwich onto a random table, she ran to Reeve's bathroom, and searched for a cloth. Finding one, she wet it with cold water, and raced to Vincent's bedside.

Climbing into bed next to him, fully aware of what it would look like, she moved herself up against the headboard, and gathered Vincent's shivering form into her mechanical arm, removing his bandana and placing the cold compress on his forehead with her good hand.

He thrashed, fighting her, so she began to stroke his hair and whisper soothing words to him, as she had often done to her now long lost sister all those years ago.

"Shhhhh…….Vincent, calm down. You're safe here, trust me. It'll be all right. Relax."

Her words seemed to calm him, for he stopped fighting, and relaxed into her arms, panting.

"Lucrecia…….I'm…..sorry……", he moaned softly.

Shalua's eyes widened in surprise. He must have had a stronger relationship to Doctor Crescent than she had thought.

They stayed, entwined like that for some time. She gently rocked him back and forth, hoping he would fall into a somewhat peaceful slumber, despite his high fever. He coughed raggedly a few times, and she could hear a slight wheeze when he breathed. She only hoped he hadn't caught pneumonia or worse.

Eventually, he succumbed to a deep sleep, still in her arms.

Their silent moment was broken when a breathless Reeve and a hysterical Cait Sith burst into the room.

Reeve's anxious, worried look was replaced with one of extreme surprise, when he saw Shalua cradling a sleeping Vincent in her arms on the bed.

Cait relaxed, seemingly unfazed by the scene before him, and hopped onto the bed again, reclaiming his position at Vincent's feet.

Shalua met Reeve's surprised gaze, and stated, "I'll stay with him, Reeve. You don't need to worry. He'll be fine."

When Reeve seemed unsure, she continued.

"I promise, Reeve. I'll take care of him. You have work to do. Go on."

Reeve blinked, and snapped out of whatever trance he had been in.

"S-Shalua……are you sure….?", he began.

"Yes, Reeve", she interrupted, giving him a look of exasperation. "Trust me, he'll be fine.

"I…..all right. Thank you, Shalua", he managed, looking at her in gratitude. "I'll be back to relieve you soon."

And with that, he left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Only Shalua noticed the almost invisible flash of envy on Reeve's face before he disappeared.

* * *

Short Chapter, I know. The next one will be very lengthy. I can't seem to find a good spot to end it.

And I'm really not sure if Vincent's an oatmeal fan...


	6. Interior Decorating

**Disclaimer:** See "Edge". I seriously don't even know why I bother anymore.

Well, after shooting Deepground soldiers for a while, I decided to think of a place to end this ridiculously long chapter. Thank you much for the reviews, once again. They really are cherished. Encouraging too. It makes me want to keep writing. So I'm hoping you're all finding the story interesting. Tell me what you think!

Ciao Ciao!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Six**

Vincent took his own sweet time waking up. His head throbbed endlessly and he felt just as horrible as he had when he had fallen asleep. He remembered tossing, turning and feeling extremely hot, then once again shivering mercilessly. He faintly recalled someone reassuring him and placing something cold on his forehead. He noticed vaguely that his bandana had been removed. Opening his eyes wider, he saw who that someone was, and in just what a compromising position the both of them were. He tensed.

Shalua held him in her arms, and leaned against the backboard of the bed, sleeping. She looked so peaceful, that he hated to wake her. Not knowing if he had the strength to anyways, he relaxed back into her arms, grateful for the warmth they radiated. He was still freezing, but this made it bearable.

His movements caused Shalua to stir. She yawned, and sleepily blinked, her gaze traveling down to the man she held in her arms. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Feeling better?", she inquired softly, even though he was sure he didn't look it.

He looked up at her, and then averted his gaze whispering, "a bit……" and trailing off.

He knew it was a lie. He didn't feel any better then before. And by the looks of it, Shalua realized that as well.

"Want something to eat?", she tried, a little more brightly. "I brought something for you."

Vincent wasn't hungry, but the fact that she had thought of him encouraged him not to hurt her feelings. So he decided a bite to eat wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Alright……"

Her face lit up. "Great! Ok, hang on. I'll get you comfortable."

She carefully slipped out from underneath him as if he were made of porcelain. Before he could protest, she gathered him into her arms again, and laid him comfortably back onto the pillows, pulling the covers up to his chin. Standing, she moved to a nearby table and turned back to him with a brown, crusty sandwich in her hand.

He squirmed uncomfortably

Although it was kind of her to think of him, he would now have to think of a way to politely refuse the food item she held. He winced at the pain in his terribly sore throat. He was lucky that he could even swallow at the moment, let alone eat a crusty sandwich. He cringed as he thought of the pain it would cause.

She looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"What's wrong, Vincent?"

When he hesitated, she said, "Come on! Out with it! I don't bite…….really."

He sighed, and relented.

"Shalua……", he forced. Damn. It even hurt to speak. "I……I don't think I can………" He trailed off, unsure how to continue. So he settled for honesty.

"My……throat…….."

Shalua looked at him. Then her eyes widened as his dilemma dawned on her.

"Oh, your…….Oh damnit, Vincent! I'm sorry! I didn't know! No wonder Reeve said oatmeal…….for Shiva's sake, am I stupid!"

Vincent inwardly sighed in relief. At least Reeve had taken his throat into consideration. He turned his attention back to Shalua. He didn't want her to feel bad. Already the fact that she had gone out of her way to get something for him counted.

"Don't……worry…….I'm not very hungry……anyways", he muttered in a strained voice. "Thank you……for the…..thought though. And you're not……..stupid".

This produced a smile from Shalua.

"Don't give me that, Mr. Valentine. Planet knows how long it's been since you last ate. You have to keep your strength up. No weakness allowed while fighting Deepground. I'm going to get some oatmeal." During her speech she had walked to the closet and pulled out a fresh pair of pajamas. Throwing them unceremoniously onto the bed, she stated, "Here. You're sweated through. I won't stand for you getting sicker than you already are. Change, and I'll get the food. Cya in a few." With that she left, Cait at her heels, shutting the door behind them.

Vincent realized his mouth had been hanging slightly ajar. He shut it quickly and followed Shalua's orders, changing into the fresh pair of pajamas. He then realized that a trip to the bathroom might not be a bad idea. Sitting up, he swung his feet onto the floor and stood slowly, but nearly collapsed back onto the bed. He was so weak, that his legs began to give out from under him. Quickly sitting down, before he fell down, he collected his strength and tried again, this time prevailing. With small, labored steps, he made his way towards the bathroom, all the while shivering mercilessly. The fever was relentless.

Once finished, he washed his hands, stared in shock at his reflection in the mirror. He had never thought of himself as especially good looking, but what he saw now was completely disheartening.

He had become paler than usual, if that was possible, and a fiery, red flush marred his cheeks, a sign of the furious fever that raged through his system. Dark circles had formed underneath his fever glazed eyes, most likely from a lack of sleep. His nose was completely red, and chapped from the constant blowing and rubbing. Above all, he had become quite thin. No wonder Shalua was pushing him to eat.

Sighing, he painstakingly exited the bathroom, but not before grabbing the box of tissues that sat on one of the shelves. He didn't think Reeve would mind. And Vincent knew he would be in need of them again soon enough.

Halfway to the bed, however, he broke out in a coughing fit so powerful that he collapsed to the floor. His vision swam. He wasn't sure he could get back up. _"Well this is grand, Valentine"_, he thought in annoyance. _"You can't even get your sorry ass back to bed."_

Sitting there in an exhausted heap, he decided that if he couldn't get up, he'd just make himself comfortable on the floor instead. At least until someone came in and………...shit. How was he going to explain to anyone that he had to use the bathroom, and had fallen on his way back and now couldn't stand? The lucid side of his mind said just to tell it as it had happened, but his pride said 'like hell'. Although at the present moment, he didn't really give a damn.

Lying down on his back, he shivered slightly as his skin touched the cold floor. All of a sudden he felt extremely hot, and the floor was a welcoming change of temperature.

Sighing, he gazed about, looking for something to busy himself with. Staring upwards, he absently began to study the multi-colored, checkered patterns on Reeve's ceiling. He found them to be rather ugly, but decided it was better than more Cait Sith motifs. Typical Reeve. A brilliant mastermind, but no sense of taste in fashion, or interior decorating.

Minutes passed. He didn't know how long. Just lying sprawled there on the cool floor helped clear his mind a little.

Protomateria. What had the crimson clad women meant? He didn't have anything like that. Did he?

He was cruelly ripped from his train of thought when the bedroom door swung open.

Blinking tiredly, he looked up.

"_Please not Shalua. Anyone but Shalua"_, he thought frantically. He was rarely embarrassed. But this………

He believed his fervent please to be answered, when not Shalua appeared, but………..the next worse person. Reeve. Vincent cursed inwardly. Relaying his plight to Shalua would have been one thing. But to Reeve??? Vincent currently had no desire to be laughed at.

"Vincent?", came Reeve's voice upon realizing that his friend wasn't in bed where he belonged. "Vincent???" The voice now had an edge of panic to it.

Shutting the door and scanning the room quickly, Reeve breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted his friend……..sprawled on the floor? His heart nearly stopped.

"Vincent! Planet, are you alright?", Reeve inquired, the edge of panic returning. He closed the distance between him and his friend in hurried strides and stared down at him wide eyed.

"I'm…….fine, Reeve", Vincent muttered. Another lie of reassurance. All this lying and he wasn't even feeling guilty. Perhaps this was yet another "pleasure" Hojo had granted him.

He glanced back at Reeve, who was now looking at him quizzically.

"So…..Vincent. What are you……doing?", Reeve asked. Vincent couldn't help but notice the fleeting emotion that crossed his comrade's face. He sighed. Reeve evidently thought he had gone insane. So he decided to play along.

"I'm counting the tiles on your interesting ceiling, Reeve", the dead serious tone he had taken on flawed by a hint of sarcasm. Vincent didn't need to look at Reeve to know what his reaction would be.

Reeve gaped, mouth hanging wide open. Vincent was counting the……..had he just cracked a joke? Surprise vanished, and Reeve burst out laughing before he could stop himself. Though he couldn't mask all of the concern he felt when looking at his friend. There was obviously another reason he was lying there. Composing himself, Reeve surveyed the room, searching for any plausible explanation of Vincent's current situation.

His eyes flashed from the bed to the floor, and then up to the closet. No. The bathroom? Hm. The bathroom perhaps. Looking down at Vincent, he noticed the box of tissues from the bathroom lying beside him. Giving an inward sigh of exasperation, he realized what had happened.

His friend had needed to use the bathroom, but had been too weak to make it back to bed. Of course, this was something Vincent's pride would never allow him to admit. Reeve knew it was harsh, but he had to pull through with his next action. Vincent needed to realize that it was ok to admit to weakness. People wouldn't think any less of him because of it.

Moving to stand over his friend so he could look him in the eye, Reeve spoke.

"So, Vincent. Unless you're bent on lying here all day marveling at my **beautiful** ceiling, why don't you get up and go back to bed? You'll be much more comfortable there. I mean, you can get up, can't you?"

This comment produced the exact reaction from Vincent that he had hoped for.

"Of course…..I can", came the emotionless reply, followed by an attempt to push himself up off the floor.

Vincent grunted as he used all the remaining strength of his depleted reserves, to push himself into a sitting position, and then trying to stand. There was no way he would let Reeve see that he couldn't stand on his own. His pride wouldn't be able to handle that.

He managed to get into a crouch, and then pushed himself to his feet. The action, however, was too much for his body to handle. The room began to spin, and his legs gave out. He would have collapsed, had Reeve not grabbed him by the waist and hoisted his arm across his shoulders, cutting his fall short.

"Shit……….", Vincent rasped, as he leaned heavily on Reeve.

"You can stand, can you now?", came Reeve's amused reply. "Why didn't you just admit to being weak for once, Vincent. It's human!"

"_Yeah. Well I am definitely no normal human, if I still am one at all, Reeve. You should know that... ..."_, Vincent thought, somewhat annoyed at his friend.

"Come on you stubborn bastard. Let's get you back to bed", Reeve muttered. Vincent was so damn pig-headed at times. It seemed he wanted to accomplish everything on his own. Even feats that were seemingly impossible to achieve single-handedly. He never asked for help, even though he received it.

Step by step, they slowly made their way back to the bed, but were forced to stop short when the door opened.

And this time, it **was** Shalua.

* * *

Heh...poor, poor Vincent. 


	7. Worthless

I've decided not to write a disclaimer anymore. If anyone wants to know, they are kindly asked to refer to the first chapter of the story. I'm also gonna attempt at least **some** Reeve/Shalua here. I hope the story is enjoyable. I also tried a bit of humor. Tell me how I did!

Adios!

Kyyrin

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**Chapter Seven**

Vincent's already foul mood had now officially hit rock bottom.

He groaned inwardly. If Shalua had found him lying on the floor, he _might_ have been able to handle the situation. But in his current position, there was no way out. The least he could do was hope Reeve didn't say anything stupid.

But no one gets everything they hope for.

Seeing that Vincent wasn't in bed, Shalua set the tray of food she was holding on the bedside table, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the two men standing there staring at her.

It was a picture to entertain gods. Shalua began to grin before she could help herself.

Reeve had his arm wrapped around Vincent's waist, and had slung the latter's arm around his shoulders, to support him. Vincent was practically clinging onto Reeve for dear life, in, what seemed, an effort not to fall flat on his face.

"So…..guys. What…..happened?", Shalua asked tentatively, desperately trying not to laugh. And it worked for a while. Reeve's explanation and Vincent's reaction however, set her off.

"O-Oh…..", Reeve stammered, fully aware of how strange their current position must look. "Well, Vincent……I guess he had to use the bathroom-----"

"Reeve!", Vincent hissed in his friends ear, frantically trying to salvage at least some of his dignity. To no avail. Reeve continued, without even acknowledging him.

"-----and he was probably to weak to make it back to bed, so he was lying on the floor and counting the-----"

"**Reeve!"**, Vincent pleaded more urgently. It wasn't like him to beg, but this was hopelessly embarrassing. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as Shalua started to giggle. For Planet's sake. Now he was blushing too.

Reeve paused momentarily in his explanation to glance at Vincent, and gaped at what he saw. The face of the great and mighty Vincent Valentine had turned as red as Nanaki, and was glaring at him with a stare that would probably freeze the flame of said creatures tail.

"What?", Reeve hissed back, oblivious to the look of mirth Shalua was giving them.

"Stop", Vincent whispered in a voice that allowed no arguments.

"But why------"

"----Just **stop!**"

Vincent said the last word with such venom, that Reeve immediately broke off his tale and averted his eyes, looking once again at Shalua, whose giggles had now turned into full blown laughter.

"It's fine, Reeve", she managed between chuckles. "I get the picture. No need to embarrass him further. Although I'm laughing **with** you, Vincent, not **at **you…….I hope you understand." She studied Vincent's face, and seeing the abashed but angry look, broke off her laughter, still smiling.

"It's not gonna kill you to be laughed at once in a while", she continued gently. "It's human!"

"_And there we go starting that again……" ,_ Vincent thought morosely, seething inside. _"Reeve, if you had just kept your mouth shut……"_ His thoughts were interrupted as Shalua addressed them once more.

"Vincent, while you're standing, I'm gonna change you're bed sheets, alright? Reeve, can you hold him there?", she asked innocently, smirking again.

Reeve's mouth opened and then closed. He probably decided it was best not to argue.

"_Of course you'd shut up for her, but not for me",_ Vincent thought, fuming. When it came to women, Reeve was a total suck up.

So the two of them stood there, awkwardly, as Shalua moved to one of Reeve's drawers and began pulling out various bed sheets. She seemed to know her way around in here well. Really well.

If he hadn't been in such a perilous position, Vincent just might have snickered.

Shalua and Reeve? He would have never guessed. Okay, that was a lie. He would have probably noticed eventually, but now everything was blatantly obvious. And it worked to his advantage. Now he had something to tease Reeve with as revenge for earlier.

Once certain that Shalua was out of earshot, Vincent glanced at Reeve wryly.

"So. You must have taken her on a extremely detailed tour of your bedroom since she knows her way around so well", Vincent whispered putting on his renowned poker face. "Nice job, Reeve".

Reeve's reaction to the comment told Vincent all he needed to know. His friend turned a shade of crimson that gave Vincent's eyes a run for their money, and stared at the floor, shocked that he had been found out.

Vincent gave a soft snort. He knew Reeve. For a former Shinra executive, he was pretty easy to read. His eyes said it all. The man was completely in love with her. Vincent wasn't sure if Shalua felt the same for Reeve, but by the looks of it, the love definitely wasn't one sided.

Sighing, Vincent turned his attention back to Shalua, who had finished changing the bed sheets, and was now eyeing them curiously.

"Well come on, Reeve. Help him back to bed!", Shalua said, looking at him in exasperation. "Or were the both of you planning on standing there all night?"

Reeve's head snapped up, and he swallowed, tightening his grip on Vincent. They worked their way to the bed, and Vincent sat down heavily. He felt exhausted and sick, unaware that he was showing it.

"Vincent, in bed", came Reeve's concerned command. It seemed his friend had found his voice again.

Feeling too ill to argue, he obliged and let himself be guided onto the pillows and under the covers, only to be hauled up against the backboard again by Reeve.

"Don't think you're going to get off with not eating anything, Valentine", Reeve muttered grudgingly, obviously still a bit peeved by Vincent's earlier comment. He shoved the bowl of oatmeal into Vincent's hands, and watched him to make sure he ate it.

Cocking an eyebrow at his friend, Vincent gingerly took a spoonful of the oatmeal and sniffed it. He wasn't much a fan of the gooey substance, but he supposed it was better than nothing. So he proceeded to eat the offending cereal, all the while painfully aware that Shalua and Reeve were scrutinizing him intently, making sure he finished it down to the last spoon.

It actually hadn't tasted that bad, but it would still never belong to the category of his favorite foods. And the items in that category were beyond sparse.

Looking up, he shoved the empty bowl into Reeve's hands and stared back at them placidly. His nose had begun to run again, and he looked around, realizing that he had left the tissue box lying on the floor. Thinking of all the trouble his pride had gotten him into lately, he decided to be straightforward.

"Reeve, could you get me the-----", was all he managed before letting out a furious sneeze into the crook of his arm. Seeing his friend's plight, Reeve stood and retrieved the tissue box, pulling out a wad and handing them to Vincent.

"Bless you. Now lie down and-----"

"Wait", Shalua cut in. "I brought something that'll help you sleep better. It'll hopefully bring your fever down as well. Might do wonders for your congestion too."

She produced a bottle of cold and flu medicine from one of the pockets of her lab coat.

Vincent let out an irritated sigh. If there was one thing he hated, possibly more than Deepground, it was medicine. Taking it made him feel like an invalid. There was no way they could possibly force him to swallow it. Not without a fight.

He opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by both Shalua and Reeve at the same time.

"Vincent!", they both exclaimed at once, looking at him in frustration.

"Me first", stated Shalua, giving Reeve a glare. He backed down, and Shalua turned on Vincent.

"Don't even try and argue with me, Valentine. I don't care what your stand is on medicine because you're going to take it willingly, or I will personally shove it down your throat. Understood?", she said sweetly, with a smirk on her face.

Vincent didn't even bother to shut his gaping mouth.

"Right……what she said", Reeve began, but was once more cut off by Shalua.

"I am **not** finished, Reeve. Vincent, you'll be taking it three times daily and don't even think about skipping it", she continued in a tone that would have frozen more than just the flame on Nanaki's tail. "Reeve and I are only concerned for your well-being, therefore it's our duty to make sure you get well. I mean it's the least Reeve can do for you. He did get you into this mess after all." Shalua shot a glare at Reeve that was obviously meant to get him to agree.

"Erm, right. Of course. My fault. I completely agree with you, Shalua", Reeve stuttered, looking back at Vincent, helplessness evident on his face.

_"Wow, Reeve. You've managed to fall in love with one head strong women"_, Vincent thought wryly, as he watched the two. Oh well. It was most likely for the best. Shalua could probably teach Reeve a thing or two.

Gazing at the couple, a soft expression crossed his face. They reminded him so much of how he and Lucrecia had been thirty-three years ago. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. The pain was almost too much to bear.

Clearing his mind quickly, he decided there was no real point in arguing anyways. He turned back and gave Shalua a curt nod, waiting for her to pour him a spoonful of the offending liquid. She did, and all but shoved it into his mouth. He swallowed painfully, and glared daggers at her afterwards.

Shalua's lips quirked into a smile. Damn. Reeve hadn't lied when he had told her that offering assistance to Vincent Valentine was like asking the late President Shinra Sr. to stop killing the Planet. Both parties would always turn you down.

But she would persist. She could see in Vincent's eyes that he had suffered more than enough in his life. It was time he learned that not everyone was against him. There were people out there that actually did care. So she decided to take charge, since Reeve was doing an absolutely **dazzling** job of handling the circumstances, she noted sarcastically.

"So, boys. Let's analyze the situation here, shall we?", she began looking at each man in turn. "Since Vincent's fever is obviously too high for him to be left alone, Reeve, you and I will take turns watching over him. And do **not** protest, Mr. Valentine", she uttered quickly, before Vincent's brain could even formulate a comeback. "You were in pretty bad shape earlier, and I won't let it happen again, understood? If both of us are busy, then there's always Cait. Now that we've got that sorted out, I believe you have more work to do then me Reeve, so I'll take the first shift. Now, shoo", she chided, as she all but dragged Reeve out of the room, ignoring his shocked look.

Closing the door behind her, she moved back to Vincent, and gently pushed him down onto the pillows, just as skillfully ignoring his surprised expression. Feeling his forehead, she sighed at the fact that his fever had only subsided a little. That trip to the bathroom had evidently done him more harm than good. He looked haggard and sickly pale.

Grabbing the discarded, damp cloth, she went to the bathroom, and returned with a bowl of water and a fresh cloth.

"Shove over", she commanded lightly, and planted herself next to Vincent on the bed once he moved. Dipping the cloth into the water, she began to stroke his face with it, in an attempt to cool him off.

Vincent tensed up. It wasn't that he despised people touching him, but when anyone did, it made him feel very, very uncomfortable. _"I suppose I have Hojo to thank for that as well"_, he mused darkly. Any touch meant pain. That was what he was used to. To make matters worse, the uncomfortable feeling escalated profoundly when he considered his currently helpless, weak, and degrading state.

Yes. That was the word. Degrading. It was degrading, being cared for like this, after contracting such a……human illness. And he considered himself far from human. He vehemently cursed Hojo for mixing beast with man. If had at least been a complete monster, than he wouldn't have to deal with this humiliation.

His current situation was beyond degrading.

His existence was degrading.

He was degrading

* * *

This chapter's humorous, but at the same time, quite angsty, I find...strange.


	8. Sunset

Well, here I am again. There was a bit of a wait because somehow, while I was writing this story, I kept skipping over to parts that I had ídeas for. Bad move on my behalf. That kinda resulted in storyline gaps throughout the entire thing. And this chapter just happened to be one of those gaps. Sorry...I've also been pretty busy adjusting to amazing European love. God, I love this country...(smiles)

This chapter is a "delve into Vincent's mind" kinda thing, so I hope you all like it.

Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming .

Aufwiedersehen!

Kyyrin

P.S.- The flashback isn't from the game. It's self invented. The quote at the end of it is though, and it's taken from a bit further in the game. I lent my PS2 and my DoC to a friend, so I tried to quote it from memory. Hope it's not completely off. _**Note to Square:**_ Please don't sue me...

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**Chapter Eight**

Shalua stared at Vincent as she stroked his face with the cold cloth. He seemed to be in deep thought. But there was something about him at the moment. She could see it in his eyes. She read the emotions carefully. Reading Reeve had given her practice, but his emotions had also been visible on his features. Those intriguing, crimson spheres seemed to be the only way to delve into the troubled gunman's psyche.

What she saw shocked her beyond belief.

The raging rivers of emotion in this man were so overwhelming, that at first, she had no idea what to make of them.

He turned to look at her, and only then did she begin to comprehend.

His eyes revealed that he was feeling humiliated. Degraded, even, for being in this situation. He could not, and would not accept his weakness. He was sinking deeper and deeper into a self-induced despair.

Shalua desperately racked her mind for something to say to him. Something that would reassure him. She wanted him to know that he shouldn't be ashamed of himself. That he didn't have to deal on his own.

But she realized that everyone else had probably tried that already, and failed. So she settled for a different approach. She wanted to know the reason he felt this way.

So she asked a simple question.

"Why?"

The inquiry, it seemed, caught Vincent completely off guard and unprepared. He stared at her, a bit confused.

"What?"

"I asked why. Why do you feel so goddamn degraded?"

He was at a loss for words. And this was rare for him. Had he really been that easy to read?

"You can be read very easily, you know. You seem to think that putting that emotionless mask up on your face will deter people, but you're wrong. Those eyes betray you every time, Vincent. There's a saying that says 'eyes are the windows into your soul'….."

At this, he shut his crimson globes tightly. It wasn't the first time someone had told him that his eyed relayed emotions that words could not. The last person that had told him that had been…….Lucrecia. And now, Shalua was telling him the same thing she had said to him all those years ago.

* * *

**_Flashback _**

_The sunset was picturesque. _

_They sat on a cliff over looking Nibelheim, not far from the Mako Reactor. _

_He looked at her, and she at him. Their gaze loving and passionate. He longed to hold her. Tell her everything would be all right. Tell her that she didn't have to go through with that inhumane experiment. But nothing would change her mind. So he was determined to make this moment last. _

_"You know, Vincent", she spoke, her voice soft and bright. "Your eyes……they are so beautiful." _

_He looked at her, knowing his face didn't hold much emotion. _

_"Well…… thank you……I guess", he stuttered, a bit unsure how to respond. _

_Lucrecia laughed. It was, would always be the most magical sound that Vincent had ever heard. _

_"Silly. You think not showing any emotion will save you from being hurt, but those eyes always give you away. I know your feelings every time I look into them. It's almost like looking right into your soul………", she trailed off looking dreamily at the oranges and reds that decorated the sky. _

_Vincent's mouth dropped a little. If she could read his emotions so expertly, then that meant…… _

_"I know you have feelings for me. And I'm flattered at the thought. In fact, I think I………", she trailed off, and turned to him, gently placing her hand on his. " I think I return those feelings, Vincent. But……you know that……that it won't work. I have a duty……my duty as a scientist. And Hojo, he would make it a nightmare for us. And………", now she looked away, in something of guilt, it seemed. _

_He was in turmoil. Lucrecia had just confessed that she had feelings for him. But his heart sank as she spoke of her duties, and Hojo's wrath. And there was something else he saw in her eyes. Something deeper that kept her from accepting his love. But he couldn't figure it out. And it hurt him. _

_He too turned away, in shame. It hadn't been his intention to put her such a difficult position. Damn his eyes. They were the only place that betrayed his mask. _

_"Vincent, no. Don't be ashamed. As much as I would like it, I can't. I just can't. I'm so sorry", she gently lifted her hand, and cupped his cheek in her palm, turning his face towards hers. "I……we can make this last. It won't be for long, but at least we'll be happy for a while." _

_His eyes widened as she gently placed a kiss on his cheek, and once again grasped his hand in hers, continuing to admire the sunset. He stared at her, not quite knowing what to make of her speech. He had so many questions to ask her. And that kiss. _

_He opened his mouth to say something, but Lucrecia put a finger to his lips. _

_"Shhhhhh. Don't say anything. Your beautiful eyes already spoke for you. I understand that you're confused, but don't dwell on it. Just enjoy the moment", she whispered happily, and wrapped an arm around him. _

_He swallowed, and relented, shyly wrapping his arm around her as well. Closing his eyes, he thought that if this is what love was, then he wanted stay like this forever. Lucrecia in his arms, and being at peace with the world. Any confusion had melted away. _

_They stayed entwined for a long time; neither willing to break the embrace, knowing it might be their last. _

_And it was. _

_"She betrayed me not long afterwards. I found out that she had worked with my father, and he had died by accident in her lab. 'But I never blamed her. All I wanted was to see her smiling face. But after that day, the light left her heart. And I reminded myself that if she was happy, then I didn't mind." _

_"She stood across from me in Hojo's office, and I asked her if this was what she really wanted. To my face, she stated coldly that if only she was concerned, then yes, it was. This was not the Lucrecia that I knew and loved. This was not the Lucrecia who had kissed by cheek and told to enjoy the moment. The Lucrecia I knew had vanished." _

_" I was ashamed and anguished. I knew my eyes relayed the emotion. It was their fault." _

_"My eyes betray me time and time again". _

* * *

"Vincent…….**Vincent!**"

The persistent calling of his name roused him from his reminiscing. He glanced up, and realized Shalua was looking at him in alarm.

"Vincent, don't you **dare** zone out on me like that again. You weren't responding and it scared the hell out of me!", she remarked honestly, placing the cold compress on his forehead. "And you still haven't answered my question!"

Right. The question. Why **did** he feel so degraded? He was tempted to say it was the fever playing tricks with his mind, but somehow he knew Shalua wouldn't buy that. She wanted an honest answer, and would not rest until he gave one to her.

He swallowed painfully, and tried to explain his feelings to her.

"It is…….difficult for me to accept…..weakness….", he forced out softly. "I am……more beast than man, it seems……..therefore I am……humiliated to be in this situation……..I am a monster, yet a weak human all the same……..it is……aggravating….and disheartening. Degrading……as well."

He stopped short upon realizing that Shalua's eyes had become uncharacteristically soft, and had begun filling up with tears. No. If she cried, his broken heart wouldn't be able to handle the pain.

She seemed to notice his discomfort, and composed herself, wiping the wetness from her eyes.

"Vincent, can you sit up?"

He hadn't been expecting that. Why would she want him to? But he obliged, painstakingly pushing himself to lean against the headrest. His heart jumped to his throat at Shalua's next action.

She knelt on the bed, pulling him into a sitting position, and enveloping him in a gentle, warm hug. She obviously knew of his uneasiness, as he bristled rather noticeably at the embrace, but she didn't let go.

"Don't struggle, Vincent. You need this. You need to know that you're not worthless. You're not degrading, no matter how disheartening the situation may seem, don't ever wish you were a monster. Because you are definitely not one. You're just as human as anyone else."

Vincent found no words to respond. Planet, it had been so long since someone had embraced him; he had forgotten what it felt like. He didn't deny that it was comfortable, but it brought strange, forgotten feelings to life in him all the same. Not having a choice, he relaxed into the embraced, and delicately wrapped his human around Shalua. It was awkward for him, but he needed to let her know that he understood. And he did. A small gleam of hope raised his spirits a little. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he was not as degrading as he thought. But his darkness battled back. It was his fault she was in that cave. His fault that she had gone through with that experiment. His fault that Sephiroth had almost destroyed the entire Planet. If only he hadn't been such a weakling. If only he had told Lucrecia how he felt, begged her to reconsider. Forced her to reconsider. Perhaps things would have turned out differently. It was all his fault. The small light he had acquired was extinguished with the extreme guilt he felt when thinking of his past. He felt hollow and exhausted. The only thing keeping him upright now was Shalua's embrace.

She carefully released him, moving him to face her, and keeping her arms around his waist. He kept his one human arm loosely around her, and gazed at her in fatigue.

Letting out a sigh at the emotions in his eyes, she realized they had changed from degradation to guilt. Extreme guilt at that.

"Vincent, what's the matter? You can trust me. There's really nothing I can think of that would make you feel guilty at the moment, so…….." she trailed off when he spoke, in quiet whisper that she had to strain to hear.

"It's…..not the present, Shalua……..but rather the past. I……have made so many mistakes. And I cannot forgive myself. For any of them. An eternity of guilt is to be my punishment, I suppose……..I have nothing to live for……." , trailed off sadly, almost hauntingly.

Shalua didn't bother to hide her shock.

How could a person with such a strong character, with so much to give, possibly have such a low opinion of himself? This man was broken to pieces………..

"Oh Vincent……..sometimes, you have to let go of the past. Look to the future. It will relieve the guilt, I'm sure. And you have many things to live for. I know people who would be heartbroken if you gave up on life……….Reeve for example. Yuffie. Cloud. Tifa. Barret. Red. Cait. Cid. Me…………Lucrecia."

The last name made him start in surprise. What? She thought Lucrecia would be……..heartbroken if he died? Why?

"Because I don't think she experimented on you for the hell of it, Vincent", Shalua answered matter of factly answering the question in his eyes. "Or do you think she did it to torment you?" Biting her lip, Shalua realized what she had just said. That had been uncalled for. She didn't know for sure. Well, she was pretty sure Dr. Crescent hadn't purposely hurt Vincent, but still, it wasn't a fact…………

"I'm sorry, that was too bold. I didn't mean it make you uncomfortable", she apologized guiltily, trying to make contact with the sad red eyes that now avoided her.

Ifrits blazing arse, was she stupid. As if the man didn't already have enough to deal with. And she had just made it worse. Swallowing, she decided to continue her train of thought while she still had most of his attention.

"Vincent, what I'm trying to say is…….well, when I told you in Edge I was searching for my 'reason to live', I meant I was searching for someone dear to me. That person is my reason to live. So, I guess my point is, if Dr. Crescent……Lucrecia, means so much to you, then couldn't you view her as your 'reason to live' as well?"

Vincent blinked. To be quite honest, he had never thought of it that way before.

"I mean…..and not only her, how about everyone else that cares for you? Aren't they 'reasons' too?"

He swallowed. It was all so overwhelming……..he wanted to believe it. He really did. But he just……..

"I know. It'll take time, I'm sure. You just have to come to terms with the fact that your existence isn't an accident. There are things to live for. You'll understand it eventually. Just don't give up. Please."

Shalua was fully aware that she was pleading with him. He seemed so lost and forlorn. She only hoped he understood what she was trying to convey. Her pleas were answered.

"I……..Shalua……I'll……try……", came the soft reply, before he turned away and coughed harshly, squeezing his eyes shut and moving a hand to his chest in what seemed like pain.

Shalua gulped. She had been so caught up in the conversation that she had forgotten he was ill. Letting go of his waist, she gently pushed him to lie down, and covered him with the blanket. He would have lots of time to consider what she had said. But at the moment, he needed concentrate on getting well.

Looking down at him, she saw his eyes already beginning to blink shut, try as they might to stay open.

"Don't fight it, Vincent. Sleep is good for you.…….."

Before she had finished the sentence, he was already sleeping soundly, with a rather calm expression on his face.

Picking up her PHS, she called Reeve to take over.

* * *

Vincent slept peacefully the entire night, despite his fever, waking only once, incoherently, to see Reeve by his bedside reading a book. 

Too exhausted to stay awake long, he succumbed once again to a relaxed slumber, dreaming about unusually pleasant things.

* * *

I'm pretty good for time at the moment, so I should have Chapter Nine posted up later today or sometime tommorow! Cheers!


	9. Siege

Heh. Alright, I admit. I lied. I said Chapter Nine would be up yesterday or the day before, but somehow, that just didn't happen. My apologies...So now it start's to get interesting, if it hasn't already...I'm not sure. You tell me. I'm almost finished writing the story, but I'm also working on some other ones as well. I'm not sure if I should post them, though...Well, we'll see. 

Thank you much for all the encouraging reviews! Made me happy! I look forward to hearing from all of you again.

Enjoy the show and sayonara!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine**

Deepground soldiers filed up the steps leading to the entrance of the WRO building.

A surveillance camera recorded the footage of Azul, walking past. He stopped suddenly, looking up towards the location of the camera, and then motioned to someone off to his left. A DG sniper raced to his right side, knelt down, and shot the recording appliance to pieces.

With that, a blaring alarm began to sound.

The Deepground forces reached the WRO's front door. It was the only defense that separated the headquarters from the mass of enemies.

The soldiers stood before the massive structure, slightly unsure of what to do next.

A deep voice sounded behind them.

"Move", it stated calmly.

The soldiers turned to reveal Azul, striding towards the door with a look of grim determination on his face.

He walked up to the door, and with one hit, punched through it as if it were a thin piece of wood. The impact instantly killed the WRO soldiers that had been standing ready on the other side.

"Hm", Azul remarked dryly. "Painless."

Then, turning to the sea of soldiers, he uttered one word.

"Go".

And with that, the hoards of enemies descended upon the WRO headquarters, Azul in their midst.

* * *

Vincent awoke blearily to the sound of loud, whining alarm. Opening his eyes a little more, he found the whole room to be flashing red.

"Wha----? What the hell's going on?", he muttered to himself, pushing his aching body into a sitting position. Still not feeling better. Well, he guessed it was to be expected. A cold didn't vanish overnight.

Looking to the foot of his bed, he saw Cait sitting up straight, gazing around the room in a rather tensed manner. Spotting Vincent, he turned to look at the gunman.

"I-I'm not sure what's going on, lad. The red lights…….that could only mean…….", he trailed off seeing the Vincent was attempting to stand.

"N-No, no, Vincent. I think you should stay here. Reeve told me if anything were to happen you should-------"

But Cait was cut of by a static, broken announcement on the loudspeaker system of the headquarters.

**_"C-Commissioner! Please come in, sir! We've got a situation and--------Holy Bahamut's bane! What the hell is that? He's huge, Sergeant what do we d---------ARGHHhhhhh…….."_**

The panicked voice trailed of as some obviously heavy object seemingly crushed him. In the distance, a malevolent laugh was to be heard.

"Move in", said the same, deep voice.

Vincent recognized it at once.

Azul.

Deepground was here.

He near to shot out of the bed, grabbing the bedpost as everything in his line of sight spun violently. No. He wouldn't let this hinder him. Not now. He needed to find out what the Tsviet wanted from him. And the headquarters. He felt it was his duty to protect Reeve after all the man had done for him. He couldn't let innocent souls be slaughtered because the enemies were hunting him. Eyeing the room frantically, he finally spotted what he had searched for. His clothes and guns.

Moving carefully over to the pile, he began to undress and redress into his fighting attire.

Cait jumped off the bed and looked at him uneasily.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea there, lad", he began in a nervous tone. "You don't look too well……it's not going to help if you go fight those Deepground blokes."

Vincent finished changing, and painfully turned around to face the feline.

"Cait. Don't try and stop me. This is important. I need to help, and so do you. Now go find Reeve, and do what he asks. I'm going to go and…..", he paused, thinking over his choice for a moment. Yes. It was good. "I'm going to go and ask Shalua if she has anything that will ease my illness until I'm finished helping here. Now **go**."

The last word was said in a tone that made Cait flinch, and run out the door calling back over his shoulder, "Watch out for yourself, lad", and disappearing down the hall.

Vincent sighed, and turned his attention back to the task at hand. As he loaded Cerberus, he thought up a plan of action. He'd first make that trip to Shalua's lab, and then get her and Reeve somewhere safe so he could take care of Deepground and Azul. His decision was final. Even if Shalua didn't have anything to numb the symptoms, he would still fight.

Gathering the rest of his things, he made to walk out of the room, but was stopped short. He clutched the doorframe for support as painful, violent coughs racked his ill frame and his vision swam. Planet. This wasn't going to be easy, but he'd pull through. He had too.

Righting himself, he uncorked and downed a High Potion before walking out towards the chaos.

* * *

In the command center, Shalua stared at her computer screen in horror. She had finished her shift at Vincent's bedside, and had been here when the alarm had sounded.

"Damn……", she muttered to herself, planning her next move.

She quickly located the surveillance camera outside the door, and proceeded with a safety lock down. The electronic doors leading to the command center slammed shut one by one, and locked simultaneously. Immediately afterwards, she opened a small escape hatch at the other end of the room. That was for Reeve, and possibly also Vincent, to get in.

Time was of the essence.

"Sergeant! **Sergeant! **Come in! Do you copy? I repeat. Do you copy Sergeant Matthews?……DAMNIT!", Reeve yelled in frustration as he all but threw the walkie talkie across his office. It was no use. Deepground, and, he assumed, Azul had breached the main entrance. Now they were most likely making their way through the headquarters, destroying everything and everyone in sight. It was a massacre and he was powerless to stop it.

He had to get to the command center. He guessed Shalua would have already commenced the basic safety procedures, seeing as she had coincidently been there as the alarm had sounded, but he needed to take care of the more complicated ones. Grabbing his gun, he raced into the hallways.

He ran, only stumbling slightly when a furry blur of black and white crashed into him.

"Reeve!", came the frantic voice of his creation as it jumped into his master's open arms. "Blimey, am I glad you're all right!" The cat cuddled up to him in fear.

"I'm fine Cait, and you seem to be too, but aren't you supposed to be watching…..Vincent…….."

Reeve stopped speaking slowly, all color draining from his face. Oh Planet. Vincent.

"Well, I tried to stop him, Reeve. I really did! But he insisted I go help you. Said he'd take care of Deepground and all. Mind you, he didn't look too well. Seemed a bit shaky on his feet, he did……..", Cait trailed off as he saw Reeve's expression. "What? What is it?"

"Vincent………he can't. He couldn't……..he couldn't even **stand** on his own a few hours ago. And now he's planning on fighting? Has he gone **mad?"**

Reeve didn't wait for Cait's response. Dropping the cat rather unceremoniously, he spun around and hightailed it in the opposite direction, towards his own quarters.

"Cait, go to the command center and wait for me there! You know what to do!", he yelled back at his creation, who was now looking at him as if he had lost his mind. Shrugging helplessly, the robot turned and left for the command center.

* * *

Reeve's mind was in turmoil as he ran. He had to get to Vincent. That man was far too independent for his own good. If he knew his friend, Vincent would already be up and about; convincing himself that he needed to fight no matter what condition he was in. That was the wrong mindset. As much as Reeve welcomed Vincent's help, he would politely decline it if it meant putting his friends health on the line.

Nearing his room, he prayed he wasn't too late.

* * *

Finishing all she could possibly do to help at the moment, Shalua decided to make a run for it through the small escape hatch.

But before she got very far, a movement on the feed of last badly damaged and barely functioning surveillance camera caught her eye.

She took a closer look.

One could just barely make out a figure with short brown hair, and energy sabers on her back, walk down the hall.

The image left Shalua at a loss for words.

"What?", she managed softly, once she'd found her voice again. "It couldn't be…….."

* * *

Reeve screeched around a corner, and into the corridor that led to his room.

Flinging the door open, his spirits sank as he looked around the room in despair to find Vincent gone, along with all his personal effects.

"Shit, Shit, SHIT!", he swore in aggravation and slammed his fist against one of the walls.

This was just too goddamn good to be true. Now he'd have to find Vincent and convince him to get back to bed. To top it off, he'd have to think of intelligent, believable arguments to even get the man to listen.

"Vincent, when I find your stubborn ass………..", Reeve's inner threat trailed off as he turned and hurriedly made his way down the hall. His friend was just doing what he viewed as right. And Reeve's annoyance melted into concern at the thought that his friend couldn't have gotten far. Not in the condition he was in.

After about ten minutes of frantically searching various corridors, he ran past the one leading to the labs, and nearly missed the ruby-cloaked gunman at the end of it, who was heavily leaning against the wall, stooped on one knee.

Back pedaling quickly, his eyes widened. Oh Planet……this didn't look good.

Rushing to his friend's side, he knelt in front of Vincent and looked him in the face.

What he saw disturbed him.

Vincent's eyes were shut tightly, and he was holding his metal claw to his chest. His breath came out in faint, wheezy gasps and he wavered as if struggling to remain conscious.

"Vincent…..hey……are you insane? Get back to bed. That's an order", Reeve whispered in panic. His friend was too pale and flushed for his liking. The exertion caused by the mere action of walking already seemed to have been too much.

Hearing his friend's voice, Vincent lifted his head weakly and cracked his crimson eyes open a bit to study him.

"Ree…….ve…………..", he managed, gasping for air. He needed another High Potion. Fast. It seemed the more often he used them to ease his symptoms, the shorter they worked for. But as much as he hated to admit it, it would probably be the only way to get to Shalua's lab without him falling flat on his face. Since he was obviously too weak to get one at the moment, he decided to ask Reeve.

"…..Can…..you……get…..me……a….Hi…gh….Pot….ion out of…..the pouch…..on…..my belt?", he forced, panting weakly afterwards. He didn't know how much more pain his chest could take. It seared and burned with every breath.

Reeve looked at him quizzically, but did as he asked, uncorking bottle and handing it to him. Vincent swallowed it with effort, and waited for the healing liquid to kick in. It did, after a while, and Vincent, with Reeve's help managed to stand, still supporting himself on the wall.

His friend eyed him, and admonished sternly, "Vincent. You should know that potions are most certainly **not** made to cure illnesses. It's unhealthy! Go back to bed instead. You can barely stand…….."

Vincent gazed wearily at Reeve, feeling like a hopeless potion addict. As much as he really did want to go back to bed, now wasn't the time. Reeve of all people should understand that. Didn't he have somewhere else to be too?

"No…..Reeve. I can't go to bed now. Deepground…….. They need to be taken care of", he muttered in annoyance, and with that, he now rather briskly walked around his friend and in the direction of the labs. Reeve was left standing there, staring after him.

_"Good. He's not following me. I hope that means he understands…"_, Vincent thought distantly, picking up the pace.

Reeve stood there gaping. Why that stubborn son of a………..Did he really think Reeve would let him off that easily?

Springing into action, Reeve ran out of the corridor, and into the connecting one. Stopping at the end of it, he waited until he heard the clicks of Vincent's metal boots. He'd cut his friend off. The element of surprise was all he had left at the moment.

When Vincent was close enough, Reeve rounded the corner and grabbed him by the shoulders. If Vincent was at all surprised, he didn't show it.

"Vincent. I will **not** have you ruin your health over this. Can you not swallow your pride just once and do what you're told? It is what's best for you……really! Even though you may not see it that way", Reeve begged holding his friend's tired gaze.

The tired gaze however, turned to one of anger and annoyance shortly afterwards.

"Swallow my pride? Do you really think this has anything to do with my **pride**, Reeve?", Vincent growled softly. "I am trying to help you. I will not let you and your organization be destroyed because Deepground is hunting **me**. I don't think I could…….I……" he trailed off. He couldn't finish the sentence. He wanted to tell Reeve that he didn't think he would be able to live with the guilt if that happened. He really did care. But somehow, the words couldn't leave his mouth. Perhaps his pride did have something to do with this after all.

"B-But, Vincent……"

"No Reeve. I cannot sleep knowing that people here are being slaughtered and I could do something about it."

Vincent ripped his shoulders from Reeve's grasp and left his friend to watch helplessly as he stalked towards the labs.

Reeve tensed, but he wouldn't give up. He couldn't. Following quickly, he knew he had to attempt to talk his friend out of this.

His life may be depending on it.

* * *

Shalua scrambled through the escape hatch at full speed. She had to get to that girl. Running down the hallways blindly, she raced towards her lab. She needed her pistol if she wanted to get out of this alive. Lost in her thoughts, Shalua rounded a corner and collided head on with a fully dressed Vincent Valentine, who wavered slightly on impact.

Staring at him in surprise, she unconsciously reached out and steadied him.

"Shalua, maybe you can talk some sense into him!", came a familiar, frantic voice.

She looked past Vincent, to see Reeve barreling towards them at full speed, and came to a stop in front of her.

"Wha-What's going on?", was all she managed to get out before Vincent cut her of hoarsely.

"Shalua. Do you have anything that will keep my illness at bay until I've finished dealing with the situation here?"

His question caught her completely off guard.

"Um, I might, I-I'm not sure. I have to stop by my lab anyways, so tag along", she replied rather flustered.

"Wha---? Damn it, Shalua! You're supposed to talk him out of this madness, not help him along!", came Reeve's indignant reply, but Shalua brushed past him, Vincent at her heels. She was far too deep in thought to deal with a whiny Reeve at the moment.

Leading the way, she rushed to her lab, Vincent and a very annoyed Reeve at her heels. Running in, she grabbed her pistol, loaded it and turned to look at the two men, who were now eyeing her expectantly.

"What? Oh, sorry, right. What was it you wanted, Vincent?", she asked, a bit disconcerted by the entire situation. Reeve gave her a nasty look.

"He didn't want **anything**, Shalua. He wanted to go back to **bed**!", Reeve stressed the word 'bed' rather importantly, all the while staring furiously at Vincent, who held his glare for a moment and then turned back to Shalua.

"Please, Shalua. I cannot lie in bed while Deepground destroys the headquarters. Is there anything you have to stall the illness only until I've been of assistance?" He looked at her, his eyes pleading with her to understand. And she did.

"I think I do. I'll look for it, but you have to make sure you don't-----------"

Reeve cut her off again.

"**Shalua!** He's barely even strong enough to stand, let alone fight and---------"

This time, Reeve was cut short by Vincent, who turned on the smaller man with a very menacing look in his eyes.

"**REEVE!** Stop!", he commanded in tone that, quite frankly, would have frozen hell.

Shalua took a step back and gulped. She had never heard Vincent raise his voice, not to mention lose his temper. From what she had seen, he was patient and quiet. But this? This scared her.

Reeve shrank back, and stared at Vincent, almost fearfully. His next words made Shalua cringe.

"Enough. Don't baby me, Reeve. You are a grown man, as am I. I have more important things to do than to lie in bed because you think I am too weak to fend for myself. I will go fight. It **is** my decision, after all. And at the present moment? I frankly don't care what you think."

Vincent immediately regretted his words, for it produced a look on Reeve's face that he had never witnessed before. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shalua's horrified expression.

He berated himself for not thinking before spitting out such spiteful things. But he wouldn't back down. He still was not able to show weakness. Holding Reeve's angry gaze with one of his own, a distant thought came.

_"I'm sorry, Shalua. You were wrong. I am worthless." _

* * *

Shalua's mouth dropped in horror at Vincent's words. Now that had just been cruel! It was below the belt to say that, especially for Vincent. What right did he have to treat Reeve that way after all he had done for him? She felt a familiar protectiveness bubble up inside her.

"Vincent……..", she began angrily. She thought she had begun to understand the man, and now this? However, Shalua trailed off in shock when she looked at Reeve. Never, ever had she seen that look on his face. Now she was terrified.

Reeve's frightened expression changed to one of suppressed fury in a matter of seconds. His normally kind, bright eyes turned to ice and he stiffened. He stood there, glaring daggers at Vincent, who stared back at him with the same ferocity.

Shalua swallowed, and thought it best to find the medicine quickly before things got completely out of hand. She had no desire to be caught in the middle of their feud. Spinning around, she searched her shelves and quickly found what she was looking for. Her pride and joy. An Elixor Plus. Not a very creative name, but effective as hell. The healing potion itself was made up of an Elixir and a Phoenix Down. She had then experimented with the drink, making it able to numb the symptoms of an illness for several hours. It was actually intended to help a severely ill person stay alive until help came, but she figured this cause was as good as any. Only he couldn't exert himself. The downside of her invention was a negativity that needed to be worked on. After a few hours, the symptoms would return with a rather nasty vengeance. She only hoped Vincent would be finished by then. If not, well…………..

Turning to find the men still glaring at one another, she took a deep breath and stepped between them.

"Vincent. Take this. Don't exert yourself, or you'll regret it. It only lasts a few hours, so be on your guard. I have to add that the symptoms will return with a rather nasty vengeance after the effects wear off, so don't say I didn't warn you. Think it over well before you take it."

She realized that both men had moved their angry gazes to her, and decided she'd make a run for it. There were far more significant things to deal with now. Glancing at Vincent, then at Reeve, holding the latter's gaze a little longer, she said something that she had wanted to say to them when they first became so vicious.

"And for the love of the Planet, pull yourselves together. I'm gone."

With that, she all but ran out of her lab, and in the direction of the place she had last seen the young girl with the sabers.

* * *

Reeve and Vincent resumed the task of glaring at each other once Shalua left. Neither was ready to back down. Finally, Vincent decided he would make the first move. He made to uncork the potion, when Reeve spoke.

"You are making a big mistake, Vincent", he uttered, desperately restraining the anger and concern that threatened to burst through every fiber of his being.

Vincent looked at Reeve, emotionless mask in place, and said more words he would soon regret.

"My mind is made up Reeve. And I believe you have a job to do."

Uncorking the substance, he averted his eyes and downed it in one gulp, waiting for the numbing effects to kick in, only looking up when Reeve addressed him again.

"Well. I guess it's settled then", he hissed venomously.

"Just don't expect me to come and save your ass from some hopeless situation. See if I care what happens to you."

After he had spoken, Reeve turned head on heel and briskly walked out of the room, leaving Vincent staring after him in anguish.

_"This is it, Valentine"_, he thought disgustedly. _"Now you've pushed away everyone here who seemed to give a damn a about you. Way to go." _He sighed and rubbed his eyes. His frail heart felt like it had been shattered to pieces. Was this what it was like to feel completely, utterly alone? His chest ached.

Well, if there was anything he could do to make it up to Reeve, it would be saving his precious WRO from destruction. Satisfied that the potion was beginning to take effect in his body, he made a mental note to thank Shalua, and rushed out into the battlefield.

* * *

Reeve ran in direction of command center. He knew Shalua would have opened the escape hatch, and that Cait would no doubt be there waiting for him.

Pushing the confrontation with Vincent out of his mind for the moment, and concentrated on the situation at hand. Shalua had told him to pull it together, and he would do just that. Speaking of Shalua, the next thing he would do after he finished the safety procedures would be to find her.

He loved her too much to let her come to any harm.

The last thing he heard before slipping into the escape hatch and locking it behind him, was a fuzzy announcement on the general PA system.

**_"The enemy has breached the interior defenses. I repeat. Enemies have breach-------------"_**

* * *

This time I promise. Chapter Ten **will** be up tommorow, complete with some Reeve/Shalua-ness (smile). Cheers! 


	10. Lost and Found

Hey everyone! Here's Chapter Ten just like I promised. I'm not sure how long it'll take for Eleven, but it'll come! Thanks again for the reviews, and you guys **can** give me constructive criticism and all, you know. I'd really like to hear some ideas on how I can better my writing.

So I'll stop talking now...enjoy the Reeve/Shalua-ness! I laughed my head off while writing it...(laughs)

Cheers!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Ten**

Vincent barrelled into the hallway that led to the command center.

"Mr. Valentine!", came the frightened call of a WRO member.

"A sizeable enemy unit is headed straight for the command center. Please, sir. You have to help the Commissioner!"

Vincent sighed. Reeve had made it clear that he didn't want to speak to him anymore. But it had been Vincent's fault after all. The least he could do now was see to it that Reeve came to no harm. He gave a curt nod, and hurried down the hallway.

Killing the enemies he came upon as quickly as he could manage, he hightailed it towards the command center, praying that nothing had happened to Reeve.

He screeched to a halt in front of the entrance, when he heard a, "Take that!"

A DG soldier flew through the open door, hit the wall, and dropped to the ground lifeless.

Seconds later, Cait Sith walked out, followed by an unharmed looking Reeve. Vincent sighed in relief.

Both Cait and Reeve jumped in surprise when they saw him standing there.

Reeve averted his eyes angrily, making Vincent painfully aware that he was still furious with him. It wasn't as if Vincent wanted to keep his friend angry on purpose, he just wasn't good at apologies. And at the moment, he didn't think that even an apology would help.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine here", Reeve muttered, and Vincent could hear the anger bubbling just below the surface of the statement.

Vincent nodded, shame-faced, and turned to go. But Reeve had more to say.

"The Tsviets…Azul is still on the loose."

Vincent glanced back at him, before Reeve looked at Cait Sith and the two of them made their way back inside the command center.

Azul. Well, if it helped make up for the cruel things he'd said to Reeve, then he supposed he'd go find Azul and gun him down.

He turned and left in the direction he had come.

* * *

Reeve sat down hard on a chair in the command center. 

He was livid.

Vincent could have at least apologized for what he'd said. How could he say things like that so shamelessly after Reeve had offered him his care with open arms? If it hadn't been for Vincent's stubborn nature, Reeve would probably still have been able to keep the man in bed. The situation was serious, but fact was that Vincent was far to ill to even be standing, let alone fighting. He had helplessly stood by and watched as Vincent had practically pleaded with Shalua to give him the medicine that would numb his symptoms for a while. She had obliged. It was Vincent's decision. All in the name of protecting him and the WRO.

He shook his head. He owed so many things to Vincent. But he wasn't sure he was quite ready to forgive him for his earlier comment.

_"Enough. Don't baby me, Reeve. You're a grown man, as am I. I have more important things to do than to lie in bed because you think I am too weak to fend for myself. I will go fight. It **is** my decision, after all. And at the present moment? I frankly don't care what you think." _

Is that really what it had looked like? "Babying?"All he wanted was to see his friend healthy again. His friend. Was Vincent still his friend?

His eyes started to burn. No. He had more important things to worry about now than an asshole named Vincent Valentine.

He supposed he would still have to help Vincent, in case of something unexpected. He hadn't meant it when he'd said that he wouldn't assist the man. It had been an impulsive outburst. But he would think of that when the time came.

Getting up, he looked down at Cait, and stated,

"Stay here. I'm going to find Shalua!"

* * *

Vincent burst out the hallway door, and into the main building, wheezing slightly. He knew Shalua had warned him not to exert himself, but in the current situation, he had no choice. 

Looking over the railing, and down to the bottom floor, he spotted his target.

Azul walked to the middle of the room.

He gazed up and around, yellow-eyed stare resting on Vincent. His features twisted into an insane grin, as he turned and walked towards one of the open doors on the ground level.

Vincent's eyes strayed to the elevator to the left, and he began to move.

Making his way to the ground floor and running through the same door Azul had used, Vincent helped any surviving WRO members he came across and killed dozens of Deepground soldiers.

He saw Shalua standing at the end of it.

As he neared, he saw her eyes widen slightly.

Then, to his horror, she pointed a gun at him, and stated,

"Don't move".

His shock was replaced by surprise, when, she aimed the gun at the nothingness beside him.

"Very perceptive of you", a vacant voice rang out.

Vincent stared as a brown haired girl, of not more than ten materialized beside him. He quickly moved to stand beside Shalua.

"I knew it", Shalua remarked in awe, gazing at the girl almost lovingly.

Vincent quirked an eyebrow at Shalua.

The younger girls eyes widened.

"Shelke………", Shalua trailed of with a look of passion on her face, and sighed.

The girl stared at her confused, and then apprehensively.

"I have no acquaintances in the WRO", her empty monotone declared.

"We've both changed…..so much", Shalua continued as if she hadn't heard her. "No. You haven't changed at all."

Vincent stared at Shalua, a rare look of concern on his face. Had she gone mad?

"Not in ten years."

This remark produced a strange reaction from the young girl. She gasped and stared at Shalua wide-eyed.

"Shelke, it's me!", Shalua went on, almost pleading now. "Shalua!"

The girl named Shelke turned away, almost in sadness.

"I've been searching for you for so long", Shalua whispered, eyes downcast. She made to move towards Shelke, but the latter suddenly donned one of her energy sabers, and pointed the energized weapon directly at Shalua's head. She looked up slowly, and Vincent saw that her eyes were glowing an unnatural orange color.

"Don't take another step", the girl commanded.

Vincent instinctively laid a hand on his Cerberus.

"Shelke", Shalua started, as if trying to reason with her, but the smaller female interrupted her again.

"It doesn't matter who I am or who you are. My current mission as a Deepground soldier is all that is relevant."

"No! It does matter!" Now Shalua was distraught. "Even though ten years have passed, you're still Shelke…….my only sister!"

Vincent's eyes widened. This was her sister???

Shelke gazed at Shalua for a moment longer, before dropping her weapon, and hanging her head.

"Ten years. Has it been that long?……..The day they came to take me away, I was told I had…..potential. But those words were nothing but a precursor to a decade of suffering. They manipulated my mind until I was a shadow of my original self. The pain. The fear. For ten years I lived in hell far deeper than any you could imagine."

Shalua had now hung her head as well, in what Vincent detected as shame.

"But look at me", Shelke continued. "I should be nineteen this year. If I don't receive my daily dose of mako, this body wouldn't last a day. However….."

Shalua looked at her sadly, expectantly.

"…..I don't consider myself the least bit unfortunate", Shelke turned to look at Shalua. "Except that for so long I held on to a foolish thread of hope that someday, someone would come to save me."

At this comment, Shalua broke down. She started to sob, falling to her knees.

"I'm……sorry……Shelke. I-I'm……… so sorry."

If the girl was at all moved by Shalua's display of emotion, she didn't show it. In fact, she did just the opposite. Raising her sabers once again, and pointing them at Shalua, she stated,

"It's time to put the past behind us."

Then, to Vincent's utmost surprise, he heard a familiar voice.

"Stop this!"

He stared at Reeve, who had run in and now stood beside Shelke.

This probably had the effect Reeve had hoped for, for the girl was momentarily distracted from Shalua, and rounded on him.

"Reeve Tuesti", Shelke stated.

"So you are Shalua's younger sister", Reeve began, looking at her calmly. Vincent did have to admit, Reeve had a lot of guts to be standing in front of a dangerous looking Deepground soldier seemingly unarmed. All for the sake of protecting his………friend. Well, possibly more than a friend, but still. Damn.

If Vincent hadn't noticed it before, he certainly did now. Reeve hadn't pushed him to stay in bed because he had wanted to annoy the hell out of him; it had been because he wanted to protect him. Because he cared. Vincent cursed himself for being so impulsive. He would have to suck it up and apologize to Reeve when he got the chance, even if Reeve never spoke another word to him again.

Vincent was torn from his thoughts, when Shelke spoke.

"Excellent. Now I can terminate both of you at once."

Vincent tensed, drawing his Cerberus at once, but replacing it in its holster when Reeve spoke again.

"Look at her", Reeve gestured to Shalua, who knelt broken on the floor. "That's the price Shalua had paid for fighting Shinra for the past ten years."

Shelke's eyes ceased glowing as she looked down at her sister, almost sadly, but catching herself, she turned back to Reeve, irises orange.

"She has given more than her arm, more than her eye. She has put her life on the line time and time again", Reeve continued, voice rising. "All to find her lost sister."

Shelke had lowered her weapons now, but Reeve didn't stop.

"More than half her organs have been reconstructed. Not a day goes by when Shalua doesn't suffer the pain of a hundred souls. But still, she------"

"Enough", Shelke cut him off. "I've…..I've heard enough." At this, she hefted her sabers with renewed vigour, pointing them at Reeve.

Vincent had also heard enough. He drew Cerberus just as quickly, and pointed it at Shelke's head. Threatening someone he cared about was like threatening him.

"Stop!", Reeve yelled suddenly.

He proceeded to pull out a gun he had been hiding, and shot one of the fire extinguishers on the ceiling. _"You're a smart bastard, Reeve"_, Vincent thought with a small smirk, as water poured out, soaking them all. Reeve obviously knew that water would have a merciless effect on Shelke's sabers. It would shut them down.

Shelke looked around, confused, and then she moved. Sabers raised, she swung at Shalua's head.

Vincent's heart skipped a beat. Shalua. He had grown to like her. Cre for her. She had made him feel……..wanted. And her break down. She reminded him so much of………..He couldn't let her die. He had to save her.

Acting quickly, he raced to her hunched form, and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the blows he expected would soon follow. They didn't. Before the sabers touched Shalua's head, the water extinguished them.

Vincent breathed his relief, and held the now only partially conscious Shalua in his arms.

He looked at her for a moment.

"Vincent."

He looked up to meet Reeve's icy glare, which was then abruptly averted. Vincent's chest felt hollow. Reeve was still pissed.

He nodded at the barely noticeable motion of Reeves head in Shelke's direction.

Vincent helped Shalua stand, and gently led her out of the room, following Reeve's lead.

They managed to escape before the water stopped running.

Shelke was left standing in the now soaked chamber, weapons in hand, staring after them pensively.

They only stopped running once they were safely out of Shelke's reach.

Crouching, Reeve put an arm around Shalua in an attempt to comfort her.

He glanced fleetingly at Vincent, before pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to him with a quiet, "Use these". Vincent gazed at the tranquilliser bullets he now held in his hand, and then back at Reeve and Shalua. Reeve was making it quite obvious that her cared for her well being, and that of her sister.

"Reeve, I……", he began, wanting to tell him he was sorry for being an ass.

"No, Vincent. Not now", Reeve muttered icily, and motioned back the way they had come.

Vincent stood, and loading his gun, walked off to face Shelke. Well, at least Reeve had said "not now", instead of "never".

He was stopped short by a whimper from Shalua.

"Shelke? Shelke!", she cried in horror as she the gun toting Vincent walk off to face her sister.

"Don't worry", he heard Reeve murmur reassuringly. "The bullets will only sedate her. Let……Vincent handle this."

Hm. That was a start. At least Reeve still had faith in him.

He retraced their steps and made his way back into the room where Shelke stood, as if expecting him.

He cocked his gun, and she powered up her sabers.

Words had no place here.

They fought.

* * *

Reeve and Shalua huddled together against the wall of the dead end corridor. 

Reeve had convinced Shalua to wait here at least a little until they could be sure that Vincent had taken care of Shelke. He didn't want to put her in danger. And Reeve trusted Vincent that much to know he would treat Shalua's little sister kindly.

Looking down, he gazed at Shalua's shuddering form, and pulled her closer into a protective embrace, stroking her hair. He hated to see a person he loved so dearly in this sort of anguish. She was still in shock after seeing the lost sister she had been searching ten years for, working for Deepground. He knew she felt guilt at the fact that her beloved sibling had been through hell and back and she had been powerless to save her.

"Shalua……..", he murmured soothingly. "Calm down. She'll be fine. Vincent won't hurt her. Shhhhhhh………relax."

He felt her shaking subside, and her hand gently envelop his.

"Reeve………..are you still angry at him?"

He hadn't been expecting that question.

"Wha----? I mean….you mean...who?", he tried timidly, knowing full well he was beating around the bush.

Shalua sat up straighter, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Don't give me that, Tuesti. You know very well who I mean, so don't try and avoid it. I'm not deaf. He wanted to apologize to you and you brushed him off. I know what he said to you was cruel, but you should at least hear him out! If he was trying to apologize, it must have taken all his willpower. You've known him long enough to realize he didn't mean those things. So why are you pushing him away?"

Reeve looked at the floor. Shalua was right. She was always right. And now he was thoroughly ashamed of himself. He gulped back the lump in his throat.

"W-Well, what he said was pretty harsh. Aren't I allowed to give him the silent treatment just for a bit? I just need some space………"

He glanced back up at Shalua, only to avert his eyes once more at the glare she was shooting at him.

"What….?"

"Reeve. Stop acting like a six year old! Ok, I agree, it was harsh. Give yourself some time, but just a little. You know just as well as I do that he's broken. And fixing him won't be easy if you ignore him."

Sighing, he relented.

"I guess you're right…….I'll…..I'll let him apologize soon. But it probably won't be easy……."

"Nothing is ever easy, Reeve."

"Yeah. Yeah I know, but-----"

Shalua cut him off by placing a gentle, passionate kiss on his lips.

Reeve looked at her in disbelief.

"W-What was t-that for?"

His question was rewarded with a mischievous smile, and a smug reply.

"To make that envy I saw in your eyes earlier disappear for good. I'm yours. Did you forget that already?"

He just gawked at her. He hadn't even realized she had seen that fleeting emotion. Obviously, she could read him better than he thought. He hadn't really been jealous of Vincent when Shalua had held him in her arms. Well, maybe a little. All right, a lot. Shit, he was such an idiot. He knew Shalua. She wouldn't have just---------

His train of thought was stopped abruptly when Shalua pulled her hand back, and slapped him none too gently across the face.

Eyes wide, and mouth hanging open, he stared at her indignantly, holding a hand to his stinging cheek.

"Well, what the hell was **THAT** for?!?", he stuttered in shock.

"That, Reeve Tuesti, was for not being a man and standing to our relationship when Vincent rather embarrassingly made you aware that he knew about it."

And with that, Shalua gently closed Reeve's mouth and planted another kiss on his lips before standing and walking in the direction of her sister.

Smiling softly to herself, she left the latter sitting on the floor in a rather undignified manner staring after her, seeming not yet fully to comprehend what had just occurred.

* * *

Stay tuned for Chapter Eleven...and yes, I **can** imagine Shalua slapping Reeve...ha, ha, ha...


	11. Tears

Ok, so Chapter Eleven came sooner than I planned. Don't shy away from telling me how you all liked the Reeve/Shalua in the last Chapter. If you liked it. I'd really wouldn't mind knowing how I did.

In regards to one of the reviews, I believe it was by the Dragoness Triplets, I have to add something. I'm rather sorry, Toitsu, but I don't think I'll be including Yuffie in this fic. There is a reason. I'm not chickening out, but I've never written Yuffie before, and I don't much care to find out what will happen if I do, because she's not anywhere near the top of my list of favorite Final Fantasy characters. I mean, not that I wouldn't write her, it's just that she would probably always be portrayed as an annoying little brat on an ego trip...Come to think of it, that actually would be kinda funny...But that's a story for another time. Though that's not the only reason. I also want to try and stay close with the storyline of DoC. And according to game, Yuffie doesn't come along and drive Vincent up the walls until after the Shinra Mansion incident. And considering the fact that I'm basically finished the story...almost... it would be rough trying to fit Ms. Ninja in somewhere.

So. That being cleared up, thank you for all the reviews, and keep it up! (smiles)

Hope the weather's nicer where all you people are than it is here. Although maybe if I go stand in the rain for a while, I might grow an centimeter or two. Being short is getting dull...curse the stopping of growth at eighteen...

Well, happy reading.

Kyyrin

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

He dodged her attacks flawlessly. Blocking, everything she sent at him with effortless simplicity. He smirked to himself. That numbing potion had really been good for something. But he wasn't looking forward to the symptoms returning. Shalua had said they would be worse than before, but he didn't care. He couldn't sit around and let innocent people be slaughtered. Not after he had failed to protect Lucrecia.

He sighed at the fact the potion's effect had already started to ebb somewhat. He could feel the fever and the exhaustion slowly returning. He didn't doubt the other symptoms would soon follow. And he still had Azul to take care of……….

Dealing the final blow, which was a shot with one of the tranquilliser bullets, he took her out.

"Shelke!"

Shalua's frightened cry startled him.

She ran to her sister, lifting her head and cradling it in her human arm, hugging her gently.

Reeve moved away, and after checking to make sure Shalua was all right, Vincent followed him. If Reeve hadn't been ready for his apology before, maybe he was now.

As he hurried after Reeve, who seemed to have taken his leave rather quickly on purpose, he heard a rumbling in the ceiling behind him.

Whipping around, he came face to face with Azul, as the Tsviet dropped from above.

The giant of a man came towards him.

"We meet again", he drawled. "Answer me this. Do you know why you even exist?"

Vincent gave him a confused look. What was he getting at?

"Hm…", Azul smirked. "Just as I thought. Ignorant to your own destiny…..Very well. I will show you what you really are."

He continued to advance on Vincent, who had suddenly begun feeling his illness return with a vengeance.

"Shit", he cursed under his breath, looking around for a distraction. He spotted one almost immediately. A barrel of explosives off to his right. He aimed and shot it, shielding his eyes as it exploded right in front of Azul.

To Vincent's dismay, however, Azul had called forth what seemed like an extremely powerful defensive shield. The blast hadn't fazed him at all.

Stepping out of the dust, Azul grinned insanely.

"You think that toy can penetrate my armour?", he asked indignantly. "Enough of the games, Vincent. Give me the Protomateria."

Vincent stopped listening. He didn't care about the armour; he just wanted to shoot the Tsviet's head off at the moment. All the pent up rage of feeling insignificant, his illness, being left in the dark about matters that concerned him, and having angered his friend, began to bubble over. He was furious. Firing his Cerberus in Azul's general direction, and moving back slowly, he hoped distantly that someone might come and help him.

* * *

Reeve all but ran out of the room. He had taken to heart what Shalua had said, but he still wasn't ready for Vincent's apology. Besides, he had more important things to do. Like maybe saving the organization he had founded from crumbling before his eyes. He was well aware that Vincent was following him; he just wasn't ready to forgive him yet, even though he couldn't stay angry with him for long.

Vincent was a broken man. He wasn't used to much human contact, if any at all, let alone people giving a damn about him. He had come to realize that people had cared during his travels with Cloud and the group, but he still wasn't ready to open up much for fear that he might be hurt as he had been so many times before.

Reeve knew he shouldn't have snapped at Vincent like he had. Shalua had made him painfully aware of that. The man's already broken heart had probably been ripped to pieces now. But he had been so selfish, he hadn't even thought about it. He knew Vincent hadn't meant the things he said. It just took him a little longer to accept the fact the people wanted to care for him and protect him. Not baby him. Reeve realized he had just mentally forgiven his friend. Yes. Vincent was still his friend. But honestly. He shouldn't have been so rude.

A loud crash from behind him startled Reeve out of his reverie.

Somewhere back down the hall from where he'd come, he heard the deep voice of who he assumed was Azul. He swore silently, running back and hiding behind a wall, but peeking out just enough to watch the confrontation between Vincent and the Tsviet. Panic stared to build in his chest. If anything happened to Vincent in the state he was in, he really **wouldn't** be able to forgive himself.

Listening in on the conversation, he frowned slightly. What Vincent really was? What could he mean by that?

A loud explosion caused him to cover his ears. He looked up and saw that Vincent had blown up a barrel of explosives in a desperate attempt to defend himself from Azul. Seeing it was to no avail, due to Azul's impenetrable armor, Vincent settled for moving backwards and shooting at the larger man's head, each shot failing. He was in trouble.

Suddenly, Reeve thought of the armory. He remembered the bazooka they had stored away there for serious situations. If this wasn't one, he didn't know what was. It might be able to penetrate the Tsviets armor, he thought distantly. The armory was only a few turns down the hall. They could make it if they ran. Very, very fast.

He leapt out from his hiding place, and yelled,

"Vincent! Over here!", while motioning to his right, then leading the way.

Vincent gave him a short glance, then a nod and proceeded to shoot a few more bullets at Azul before turning on his heels and running at full speed.

As Reeve sprinted, he heard the faint roar of the Tsviet.

"You can't run!"

Reeve picked up the pace, and Vincent ran up beside him, overtaking him. As they burst through the armory door, the bazooka came into view.

"Vincent!", Reeve called, looking at him. This time Vincent held the gaze longer before nodding.

Rushing over, Reeve at his side, he hefted the bazooka, aimed and fired it. It hit Azul dead on, but the exploded as well, sending both of them careening into the air.

Minutes later, Reeve regained consciousness.

He struggled to stand, dizzy and weak from having been blasted halfway across the room. His eyes widened as he saw Vincent fighting to stand, coughing harshly. Shit. His illness was back.

Rushing to his friend, he grasped his arm, and pulled him up, cringing as he felt the fever induced heat even through Vincent's shirt.

"You shouldn't leave those things lying around", Vincent gasped wheezing, and righting himself with effort.

Their hopes were both dashed and rebuilt when they heard maniacal laughter emitting from the dust and rubble. Azul stepped out, laughing, his barrier shattered.

But to their dismay, through the loss of his defenses, he had acquired a new weapon.

The bazooka.

Howling like a crazed madman, Azul advanced on them with the massive gun in his hands.

To Reeve's utter surprise, Vincent stepped in front of him, shielding him with this arm.

"Well done. You have broken through my barrier", Azul cackled.

Still gazing at the insane Tsviet, Vincent spoke.

"This ends here. Leave him to me."

Reeve noticed that his friend had begun to shiver again.

"Vincent……..", he made to move towards him, but Vincent's hand held him back.

Turning his head slowly, he looked at Reeve.

"Look……Reeve……I'm….I…apologize for the harsh words I uttered earlier. I know they hurt you. What I said was uncalled for……and selfish. For-Forgive me." Finishing, he looked at his friend, and saw something that left him in awe.

The emotions in Reeves eyes said more than any words could possibly say. Vincent realized, that his friend had possibly already forgiven him before it had dawned on him to ask for forgiveness. All the more reason to get him out of this dangerous situation immediately.

"Go, Reeve".

When Reeve made no move to leave, Vincent raised his voice a little.

"GO".

Reeve started, and glanced at him one last time before disappearing out a side door.

Vincent sighed, relieved, watching to make sure he really left. At least Reeve was safe for the time being.

Then he turned back to the problem, which was now eyeing him with a look of contempt, and a hint of amusement.

"What a touching display of friendship", Azul all but spat. "When I'm done with you, I'll make sure to keep you alive long enough to watch as I murder him in cold blood."

Vincent's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.

Azul continued on.

"Long has it been since I faced……a WORTHY OPPONEEEEENT!", he let out a battle cry at the end of his sentence, and charged at Vincent.

Vincent went through a plan of action in his mind. Since he was obviously too ill to fight head on, he would have to cheat somehow. One hit from the giant bazooka, and he'd be down for the count. He surveyed the room quickly, and found what he was looking for.

Through the middle of the room ran two rows of barrel explosives on either side of a narrow path in between. If he could get Azul to move forward evenly enough so that he could shoot the barrels, creating an explosion, all might end well.

He turned and ran down the small path between the dangerous cargo, and positioned himself at the end, spinning around and proceeding to shoot at Azul.

The latter gave a cry of rage and started for him, blind to all else.

Vincent set his plan into action. Aiming his gun at the first set of barrels, he fired; creating a massive explosion that produced a roar of pain from Azul.

In fury, Azul sent a blast from the gun heading for him, which he managed to dodge by rolling out of the way. He staggered to his feet, wheezing painfully from the exertion. How much longer could he keep this up?

As Azul neared, Vincent shot the next two barrels, creating a similar explosion. Azul howled. But this time, he had become wise to Vincent's tricks. Instead of shooting the bazooka again, as Vincent expected, he raised the massive weapon and rammed it into the ground with all his strength. The shockwave rippled across the floor at a dizzying speed, hitting Vincent dead on, and flinging him into the back wall. Hard.

Vincent dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut off, and lay there, motionless.

* * *

Reeve watched the heated duel anxiously.

He had run out the nearest side entrance, deciding almost immediately afterwards that he wouldn't leave his friend alone. He made a sharp right, and whizzed up the steps that led to one of the balconies that overlooked the armory. He had silently opened the door, and proceeded to watch the showdown, all the while thinking of ways he could help. But it was useless. He'd have to leave Vincent to fend for himself the moment.

As the fight progressed, Reeve watched his friend become weaker with each step. He wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

He let out a gasp as Azul commenced an attack that mercilessly threw Vincent into the back wall with a force that had probably broken bones. His friend fell to the ground, and lay there, lifeless.

Reeve swallowed and reached for his gun. If Vincent didn't get up, he would take on Azul no matter the outcome.

He raised his gun shakily.

* * *

Vincent slowly regained consciousness, blinking his eyes furiously to clear his field of vision. Planet. Every fiber of his being roared in agony. His ribs were on fire. He guessed they were broken. Moaning in pain, he managed to lift himself a little, only then realizing his perilous position.

Azul towered over him grinning like a madman. He grabbed Vincent by the front of his cape, and pulled him up, so that the injured ex-Turk was dangling in front of him like a rag doll.

Vincent stared at him blearily through the terrible pain. The Tsviet's grin widened and he shoved Vincent harshly into the wall.

Despite his suffering, Vincent caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He flicked his eyes upwards to see Reeve standing on an overhang.

Vincent shut his eyes tightly. Why couldn't Reeve just do as he was told? Vincent blanched and stopped mid-thought. He realized that he had done the same thing earlier. Despite all of Reeve's pleas for him to stay in bed, he had gotten up and was now in this compromising position. He sighed and considered his options.

He could call forth Chaos. His breaks and wounds would be healed for sure. Azul wouldn't stand a chance. However, the downside of this plan was that if he transformed, he would tear the room to pieces, and with his control over Chaos being so unstable of late, perhaps also Reeve. He couldn't risk murdering his friend. Glancing up at Reeve again, he suddenly noticed something he hadn't earlier. Reeve was shakily holding a pistol, and was pointing it at the barrels. He seemed to be uncertain of what to do next.

So. Reeve wanted to help him? All right. Vincent trusted Reeve's shooting skills. If Reeve shot the last two sets of barrels, and created a chain reaction, then Azul would be out cold, with a little luck. The explosion would no doubt have serious effects on him as well, but he was willing to risk it for Reeve's safety, as well as Shalua's, her sister's and the WRO's. He hoped fervently that Reeve would shoot quickly once prompted, so gathering every ounce of strength he had left, he summoned his voice and called,

"Reeve! Shoot!"

Reeve looked at him in alarm.

Azul's head spun around in surprise.

"I'll be fine! If you trust me then just SHOOT!!!", he stressed the word in uncharacteristic panic, and cringed a bit at the blatant lie. He knew full well that he wouldn't be fine, but if Reeve didn't pull himself together, they'd both be goners, along with the entire WRO. And Shalua.

Reeve then seemed to snap out of the fear induced trance he had been in, and, aiming more confidently, he shot said barrel, unleashing the powerful chain reaction.

The last thing Vincent heard before he passed out was Azul's scream of pain.

* * *

Reeve stared, horrified at what he had just done. He hadn't been sure whether to shoot or not, so he had hesitated. The last thing he had expected was for Vincent to encourage him to shoot. He hadn't even realized that Vincent had noticed him.

At first, he hadn't been certain, but the panic and conviction in Vincent's last statement had convinced him.

"_I'll be fine! If you trust me, then just SHOOT!!!" _

And Reeve trusted Vincent. With his life.

In his morbid fear, he had obliged to his friend's plea, and had shot, hitting the target perfectly. He realized only too late that Vincent had manipulated the truth. He wouldn't be fine.

Reeve had watched in horror-struck dismay as he friend's head smashed against the wall with a sickening thud, thrown back by the massive explosion. Reeve noted in relief that Azul had taken most of the blast.

He made to walk out the door, but he stopped short, eyes wide as the half dead Tsviet raised himself from the ground and rounded on him. Reeve hadn't thought he'd be able to stand, but it didn't look like he'd be able too much longer anyways.

Pulling his gun, Reeve aimed it at Azul's' head, ready to shoot if he had to. To his surprise, the seemingly dying man spoke to him.

"You may think this is the end, but…", and with that, the mighty Azul fell over backwards, unconscious, or, Reeve fervently hoped, dead.

Reeve let out the breath he'd been holding, and his gaze flickered to Vincent's broken form. His eyes began to burn, and he felt the guilt wash over him in waves.

He had been so stupid! Vincent had risked his life for him yet again, and he hadn't even said thank you. Vincent's apology had caught him so off guard, that it hadn't dawned on him to voice that he had accepted it. His friend protected him even though he thought Reeve would never speak to him again. He was such an idiot!

Snapping out of his misery, he raced down the stairs and into the armory towards Vincent, stopping short when he heard members of the WRO shouting for him

"Commissioner? Commissioner!"

Spotting him, they ran in his direction, with obvious relief on their faces, thankful that he was safe.

"Commissioner! Are you all right, sir?", the commander looked at him expectantly, obviously waiting for Reeve to tell him what to do next.

He realized he would have to deal with them first.

"I'm fine. Get your battalion over here and throw the Tsviet into best guarded cell we have. And then for pity's sake, get a medical team in here fast! You have your orders. Now GO!"

Near the end of that statement, Reeve had practically been pleading with the man. Vincent was in desperate need of medical attention.

"Yes sir!", the member saluted and hightailed it through the door. Seconds later, his team filed in and proceeded to fetch Azul.

Reeve whipped around and all but flew to Vincent's body, kneeling down beside him. He wasn't a crier, but his eyes welled up with tears when he saw the state his friend was in. Reeve couldn't tell if he was breathing, in fear that touching him might increase his pain, and if he was, then just barely.

Vincent was adorned with gashes, most likely from the shrapnel that had flown around during the blast. That was nothing some weak Cure materia couldn't heal. But Reeve was more worried about his friend's internal injuries and his head, which was bloody, and marred by a vicious wound, if not a serious concussion as well. Judging by the way his friend's chest was jutting at an odd angle, he realized most of Vincent's ribs must be broken. Dear Planet. Along with his already nasty illness, he was in for a lot of pain. While materia could also heal broken bones, there was a large amount of it required for that. An amount they had to use sparingly, to heal the rest of the people that had been wounded during Deepground's attack. Not that Reeve didn't want to heal his friend. He would give anything in the world for Yuffie's stolen stash of mastered Cure and Restore materia right about now. But he had to be fair to the other injured people.

He started when his friend stirred, giving an almost inaudible moan of pain.

"Vincent!", Reeve uttered breathlessly, relieved to the point of wanting to break down sobbing that the man wasn't dead.

"R-…….Re-eve….?", Vincent wheezed in a whisper so soft, Reeve had to strain to hear it. "Y-….o-u…….a…l…right?"

At this point, Reeve's emotional defenses crumbled, and a tear slipped down his cheek. Here lay one of his best friends, in obvious agony because of his injuries and illness, and the first thing that came to Vincent's mind was to ask if he was all right?

How could he have even thought of Vincent as selfish? In fact he was one of the most selfless human beings that Reeve had ever met, besides Aeris and Shalua. He answered his friend soothingly.

"Yes, Vincent. Take it easy. I'm fine. You shouldn't talk-------------", he was cut of.

"A-…….zu….l….?", Vincent murmured, his consciousness beginning to fade. He was in uttered pain. He could barely breath. And even then, each breath was torture.

"Azul is dead…..hopefully. In any case, he's out cold. There might have been another way. You shouldn't have forced me to shoot, I mean look at you……….", Reeve's voice trailed off, cracking, and another tear rolled down his cheek. He knew very well that there hadn't been another way.

Vincent then noticed, through all his suffering, that a tear had rolled down Reeve's cheek. Reeve was crying? For him? No. He couldn't handle that.

"D…….on'..t….cr--y……fo…..r…..m..e….." , Vincent whispered brokenly, trying with all the power he had left to reassure his friend.

Reeve stared at him, startled. He quickly wiped the tear away. But he was curious. Why shouldn't he cry for a friend?

"Why not, Vincent?", he probed gently.

Vincent's next words broke his heart.

"I………'m……no-t…..wor-th……..it …….."

And with that, Vincent's world faded to darkness.

* * *

Reeve stared at his friend in a daze, ignorant to all action around him. He felt frozen in the moment, kneeling there gazing at Vincent.

He was unaware of the medical team that arrived, members of which were proceeding to analyze Vincent's condition, and load him onto a stretcher.

He didn't notice as they wheeled him away, and tried to get his attention, their concerned calls falling on deaf ears.

He simply stared at the spot where his friend had lain, with a distant, empty look in his eyes. Eventually the medics stopped attempting to bring him back to reality, and left.

He was alone, and there was only one sentence playing over and over in his head, like a broken record.

"_Don't cry for me. I'm not worth it."_

"_Vincent, how can I help you heal if you have so little faith in yourself?"_

* * *

As luck may have it, Chapter Twelve may be a while due to the fact that I haven't finished it yet (see Chapter Eight about skipping parts...bad move, Kyyrin), and to the fact that I'm rather painstakingly trying to get a place to learn a trade or go to school here. I think I'll kill something if I have to write another resume. If I were Vincent, I'd shoot something...and that just made me want to play Dirge...Cheers...! 


	12. Nightmares

Well hi again! It's been a while... And this chapter took a really long time, for which I apologize greatly. I actually **do** do other things than write fanfiction and play video games (yeah I admit, Thunderstorm101. I **am** a video game addict. And the resumes still get annoying even if I copy and paste (grin)). 

So you people can skip this part if you want, but I think I'm going to take the time to respond to some of the amazing reviews. It's nice that you guys take the time to drop a note!

I think I need to start out with an important statement.

Vincent will **_not_** die. I said I would keep to the storyline, and I'm going to. Besides, I wouldn't want him to die anyways. And yes, Hikari, I would have labeled the story tragedy if he had.

Moving on.

-First of all, **Yami**. I try. I really try not to make Vincent more emo and angst-ridden than he already is. I mean, if you've played the games, he's pretty depressing already. I guess one would have to complain to Sqaure about that... I'm just trying to explore his character a bit more. And although I don't think "freak" counts as constructive criticism...well I suppose I'm a self-labled freak at times...(smile) And we both know people care about Vincent...He'll figure it out eventually...

-Heh, so **Whisperdale**. You're not the only one who hates Azul with a passion. Everytime I fight him in the WRO headquarters, he _always_. I repeat. _Always_ throws my Vincent against some random wall with that annoying 'pick-up-giant-bazooka-and-slam-it-into-the-ground' attack of his. It's crazy. That is why, I, among other reasons hate the stupid Tsviet as well. So I figured I'd let him have it in my fanfiction

-And, yes, **drachenmagier**, you've made me painfully aware that I left a cliffy last chapter. Heh. And to think I didn't even really noticed it until people started worrying that Vincent was going to die...Are you German by the way? Your name sure sounds like it...

-And finally to **Bjanik**. I am so damn sorry for that cliche. To everyone. And it didn't matter what chapter you wrote the comment for. It's your first time submitting a comment, and it's my first time posting a story, so I don't mind. I totally feel for you reading that. I'm not a fan of cliches either. I mean, I put it in there, and kinda realized it was one. I think I meant to go back and do something about it, but it must have slipped my mind. So sorry. Really. And damn those American movies as well. I would know. I come from that side of the world. There I some exceptions, but I do really know what you mean. Maybe I've watched to many in my lifetime...(cringes as well)

Now. On to the long awaited chapter. I fervently hope the wait for the next one will not be as long.

Cheers and enjoy!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twelve**

Vincent was half conscious.

"_That's good"_, he thought to himself. Even his demons had decided to leave him in peace for the time being. He came to the conclusion that if he was in this much agony already in his semi-conscious state, he didn't care to know what complete consciousness had in store for him.

Then he remembered the current situation of the WRO. Shalua. He needed to know she and her sister were safe. Azul. He needed to know the insane Tsviet was dead. The headquarters. He needed to know that they hadn't been damaged beyond repair.

Reeve.

The tear of sorrow for him that had rolled down his cheek.

He couldn't leave him feeling guilt over his actions. Vincent didn't want to worry his friend anymore than he already had.

Taking all these reasons to awake properly into consideration, he forced himself to fully regain consciousness.

The pain was a hellish nightmare. It almost rivaled the sick experiments Hojo had performed on him.

Opening his eyes and blinking to clear his vision, he surveyed the room, trying to move his aching head as little as possible. He noticed that he wasn't in Reeve's room. It crossed his mind that he might be in the med ward. Yes. That had to be it. He was attached to tubes of every sort and size, and bundled up in blankets.

Moving his gaze to the right, he got the surprise of his life.

There, in an uncomfortable looking chair, sat Reeve, head bowed, chin resting on his elbow, sleeping. Vincent noticed that his friend looked quite pale and worn out. He felt a small twinge of guilt at the fact that he had probably worried Reeve so much that his friend hadn't slept at all.

Vincent opened his mouth to say something, anything at all, but no words came out. Cringing as he swallowed, he realized why. Talking was out of question at the moment, unless perhaps he drank some water.

The next option was to try and raise himself just a little, so he could tap Reeve's arm. It was worth a try. But it came with consequences.

Vincent stifled a cry as he attempted to sit up, and it came out as a loud, pain-filled moan. His broken ribs screamed in protest, and his head spun to the point of not being able to see.

Reeve, who was not a very heavy sleeper, moreover not in the current position he was sleeping in, bolted wide-awake. His eyes widened when he saw Vincent struggling to move, and grabbing his friend by the arm, pushed him back onto the pillows.

"Vincent! Are you still sane? Don't even try! Why didn't you just say something…..?", but the half-hearted reprimand trailed off as Reeve's voice cracked.

"Planet, Vincent……I'm so glad you're alive……..", he muttered, swallowing hard and willing himself not to cry. Vincent had scared him. He had been out cold for three days, and the doctors hadn't been hopeful.

Vincent just looked at him, not being able to convey that he couldn't use his voice at the moment. Searching for another means of communication, he spied a glass on the bedside table. Turning his head just a little, he used all his remaining strength to gesture to the glass with his hand. Reeve caught the hint, and grabbed the glass of water.

Manoeuvring gently, so as not to hurt his friend, Reeve gingerly slipped his hand under Vincent, supporting both his head and his back. He lifted him up just enough to bring the glass of water to his lips. Vincent drank it slowly, grateful for something to cool his dry, sore throat. He swallowed and lay back down, confident that his attempts to speak would go better this time.

"Ree….ve…….good that you're……all….right", he whispered airily. His own voice startled him. He could barely even hear himself.

"What? Good that **I'm** all right? I'm starting to think that knock to the head is getting to you! Do you have any idea how concerned we've been? And the only thing you can think to do is worry about **me**?", Reeve exclaimed in annoyance, staring at his injured friend as if he were one feather short of a chocobo.

Vincent swallowed painfully, and continued on as if he hadn't heard Reeve. He needed to know if everything was all right. He needed to know every**one** was all right.

"Sha….lua….?…..Her….sister? Are….they….?…..Azul?"

"Yes, Vincent, Shalua and Shelke are fine. And Azul seems pretty dead to me. He's lying in a well-defended cell on the ground floor. Now stop asking about everyone else, I want to know about you", Reeve demanded matter of factly, and placed a hand on his friends forehead.

"Your fever's dropped somewhat, but I want you to give me a run down of how you're feeling. Now", he commanded in a tone that dared Vincent to protest.

Sighing softly, Vincent analysed his condition. Everything hurt. Really. Every single part of his body ached even when he didn't move. And that was something to say for a man that had endured so much pain in his lifetime. He really felt he could do with a large dose of some random painkiller at the moment.

"I'm waiting, Vincent……Talk…..", came Reeve's impatient voice as he surveyed his friend. Vincent looked little more than worse for wear. Reeve had sacrificed his own Cure materia and pleaded with the medics to use it on Vincent. However, it was only enough to heal the shrapnel gashes, the bruises and stem the bleeding of his head wound somewhat. He had tried to contact Yuffie, but she hadn't answered her phone. The few healing tubes in the headquarters had been damaged beyond repair, except for the one Shelke was in at the moment, so that was out of question. They were now forced to rely on traditional methods of medicine.

Swallowing, Vincent answered.

"It……hurts……..", he breathed softly, out of pure exhaustion and for lack of a better explanation. He cursed himself for not being able to say something more insightful, but at the moment, he didn't think he could quite manage any reassurance.

Reeve raised an eyebrow. He knew Vincent was a man of few words, but he was never so vague and without his usual smooth, graceful gift of speech.

"Where does it hurt, Vincent?", Reeve probed and looked his friend in the eyes.

"…..Everywhere………", came the barely audible reply. Reeve tensed, and looked deeper into Vincent's crimson orbs. He knew Vincent wasn't lying. He could see it in those eyes. His friend was in an immense amount of pain. Reeve started to ponder the idea of calling a medic, when he heard the click of heels approaching.

"Reeve? Oh there you are, thank the gods. I was starting to think you disappeared off the face of the Pla--------**Vincent!**", Shalua yelped, seeing that he was awake, and rushing to the injured man's bedside with an almost inhuman amount of speed. Kneeling down beside him, she took a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"Sweet Planet, I thought you were going to die", Shalua whispered softly, not afraid to convey her feelings to him. The guilt and worry she had felt had nearly driven her insane. The last thing she had said to the gunman hadn't been at all kind. If he had died without her being able to make it up to him…………She had been so caught up in finding Shelke that she had practically ignored the man, even after admonishing Reeve for doing so.

"Seems……everyone…..did……", Vincent managed, surveying her to make sure she was really fine. He noticed that she, like Reeve, must have also had many sleepless nights. Though he doubted they had been so much for him, but for her sister. Speaking of that…….

"How….is….she?", he croaked weakly, looking from Shalua to Reeve, and back to Shalua.

It took a moment for Shalua to grasp who he meant.

"O-Oh. You mean Shelke? She's……well, she's as good as can be expected, I guess. I mean I'm not sure if she'll be all too happy to find out where she's ended up when she wakes, but we'll take it as it comes………." Shalua trailed off sadly. She still hadn't gotten over the fact that her sister seemingly hated her. And with good reason. Shalua had failed to save her and had let her poor sibling live through ten years of unimaginable horror. The guilt was eating her up inside.

But she couldn't let that deter her from the task at hand. It wouldn't help Vincent to know that she was weak. She needed to be strong for him, and her sister. And for Reeve. She moved her gaze to the former Shinra executive, who was forcing his eyes to stay open, and fighting to sit straight. She couldn't begin to fathom what he felt when looking at his practically demolished organization, and his wounded friend. She knew he hadn't slept or eaten properly in days. He was beginning to worry her as much as Vincent and Shelke.

She loved him, damnit. And she would do anything in her power not to lose him.

Turning her attention back to Vincent, she placed a hand on his cheek. She saw him visibly tense at the touch, but at the moment, she was beyond caring.

"How are you feeling?", she asked, looking deeply into his eyes and unconsciously stroking his cheek. Reeves jealously would most probably bubble over at the action, but she'd make it up to him. Reeve wasn't the only one who needed love.

Vincent sighed deeply, and looked at Reeve for help. He didn't think he could manage talking for a while. The pain was too great.

"He says it hurts. Everywhere", Reeve muttered in concern and tiredly ran a hand across his face. "I think I'll go talk Sam into giving him a check-up. Maybe he'll give him a painkiller as well." He stood, ready to find the doctor.

"I'll go get him", Shalua cut in, motioned for Reeve to stay put. She didn't think Reeve could walk two steps without falling flat on his face. He was practically falling asleep standing.

Rising, she went to search for the medic.

Reeve watched her go, then sat back down and moved his attention back to Vincent, who had found a sudden interest in the whitewashed ceiling.

Managing an exhausted grin, Reeve decided he'd try and cheer his friend up. It was the least he could do, after all.

"So. I'm sure you find this ceiling boring compared to the one in my room. Those patterns weren't easy to come by."

At this, Vincent turned to Reeve and gave him a small ghost of a smile.

"Reeve. May I be…….perfectly honest with you?", he began, working up what little energy her had left to continue the conversation.

"Of course, Vincent. Always."

"Your ceiling……..is the ugliest one I've seen in my……..entire life. And I've lived a very….long…..time", Vincent stated, making sure that his eyes didn't convey his amusement at Reeve's reaction.

Reeve's facial expression went from one of surprise, to one of annoyance, and then to one of humour in mere seconds.

Putting a look of mock offence on his face, Reeve glared at Vincent, with every intention to comically reprimand him for that comment. Their antics, however, were interrupted by the return of Shalua, and the appearance of a tall, older man with a stethoscope around his neck and a black bag in hand.

"So. Sam, this is Vincent Valentine. Saviour of the WRO, of Reeve, and of myself. He's also the ever brooding, silent, stubborn assed hero of the Jenova Wars."

Shalua grinned smugly at the evil death glare Vincent shot at her. The doctor gave them both an amused smile.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Valentine. I've heard much about you from Reeve."

Vincent shot Reeve a withering look, and the WRO commissioner suddenly found the same whitewashed ceiling that Vincent had been admiring earlier, to be rather intriguing as well.

"Vincent, this is Dr. Samuel Niel, a good friend of mine and Reeve's. I'm sure you're very pleased to meet him. Now. Sam, Vincent told us that everything hurts. There anything you can do to help?"

"_Shalua, your excellent wording is making me sound like a child",_ Vincent fumed inwardly. Well, it was not as if he could do very much about that now. The damage had been done.

"Everything hurts, hm? Well let's see what we can do about that", the doctor eyed his bandaged chest and head. He assessed Vincent's injuries, and turning to him, said, "Well young man, if I was in your position at the moment, it would be a wonder that **nothing** hurts in the shape you're in. Seems you took a pretty hefty beating from that Tsviet. Not to mention you're ill as well……I seems there's some work to be done if we want to get you back on your feet, Mr. Valentine. If it wasn't for Reeve's materia, your pain would be near to unbearable at the moment."

"_Reeve's materia?"_, Vincent shot a surprised look at his friend, who had seemingly decided that besides the ceiling, the walls were also rather interesting.

"Yeah. Don't look so surprised, Vincent", Shalua broke in, smiling a bit at the look on his face. "Reeve's your friend. He couldn't stand seeing you suffer like you did. If I had had any cure materia on me I'd have sacrificed it too".

He didn't say thank you often. In fact, he'd near to never said those two words at all before he'd come here. But now really did seem like the time to say them.

"I…..thank you…….Reeve", he muttered, avoiding the look of disbelief he got from the younger man. Perhaps he should start voicing his gratitude more often. It seemed his did it so seldom that people stared at him as if he'd sprouted fangs and wings and turned into a vampire when he did say it.

"You're……you're most welcome, Vincent. I couldn't have just left you like that……..it was……difficult to see", Reeve stammered. He was well aware that he was on the verge of tears again. And not just for Vincent, but the entire situation was proving to be a bit much to handle. The organization that he had worked so hard to build up, was in shambles. And now they were an easy target for Deepground. Especially with Vincent still here. But he couldn't push his friend away. Vincent had saved his life.

"Mr. Valentine", Dr. Niel spoke, fishing a long needle and a bottle of clear liquid out of his medical bag. "I'm going to give you a strong painkiller. You need to sleep to regain your strength. In a couple days we'll be getting more cure and restore materia delivered. Then we'll take care of those ribs and your head. That will make your recovery easier, I'm sure."

In the time it had taken to say that, the medic had filled the needle with the substance, and his hand hovered over Vincent's arm.

But Vincent had long since stopped listening.

His eyes were fixed on the sharp needle in the hand of…….Hojo. No. The medic. No. He wasn't sure anymore. His vision was swimming. Panic started to build in his chest. He hated needles with a fiery passion that came from the depths of hell itself. Every time he remembered getting a shot, horrible pain came afterwards. The panic escalated.

Before his eyes, the WRO doctor transformed to Hojo. And Vincent was back in the basement of the Shinra Manor, strapped to a metal table.

* * *

_"How are you today, Turk?", Hojo cackled in Vincent's face. "Ready for the next round? I assure you. It will be far more interesting than Death Gigas. Hellmasker is a rowdy one………"_

_The restrained and gagged Vincent stared at Hojo in anger. He didn't move. He didn't dare breath. He just waited. Waited for the pain._

_"What? Aren't you scared, little Valentine? Because you have every reason to be. But not to worry. Just a little prick with this needle, and you won't feel it for a while. Of course it will come with a vengeance later. When you least expect it._

_Hojo howled with laughter, and Vincent continued to stare at him, mentally preparing himself for the coming torture. It all started with the needle. Hojo would knock him out, and he would wake up shortly after in the body of a demon._

_Fear started to build. Vincent pushed down the feeling with all his might. He would never give Hojo the pleasure of knowing he was afraid. When in reality, he was terrified._

_"Well I guess there's no need to postpone it any longer, boy. Since you're so eager to suffer. Relax, now. It will only pinch a moment."_

_And with a cruel smile on his lips, Hojo jabbed the needle into Vincent's arm._

* * *

Reeve was the first to notice Vincent's discomfort.

As the medic, needle in hand, neared Vincent's arm. The gunman began to shake.

"Vincent? Is there something---------"

Before Reeve could finish, Vincent let out a terrified scream and started to thrash wildly.

Shalua jumped back and the doctor pulled his hand away quickly.

"Vincent! Wha--? Stop! He's not going to hurt you!", Reeve shot up from his seat and grabbed his friend by both shoulders, pushing him back down onto the bed. Vincent fought Reeve's grip with all the might his weakened body still possessed.

Minutes later, he eventually stopped struggling and sagged back onto the bed, unfocused eyes staring fearfully at the white mantled man.

Reeve looked from Shalua to the doctor and back at Vincent. They all had the same look of worry on their faces. What could have scared him like that?

"Vincent……..", Reeve began, hoping he could calm his friend to the point that Vincent would tell them what had happened. He didn't have to wait long.

"H-……Ho….jo…….bastard……..stay away……from me……", Vincent muttered, clearly not quite coherent yet.

"Huh? Vincent that…..isn't…..Hojo……", Reeve started, trailing off when the full meaning of what Vincent had just said hit him. Oh Planet.

Vincent was obviously terrified of needles. And doctors. He had every right to be. Reeve wasn't even sure he wanted to know any more details of what Vincent had endured in his younger years.

Looking back at Dr. Niel, Reeve desperately racked his brain for an explanation to Vincent's actions. How could he tell this man that an insane scientist had experimented with Vincent's body? Maybe he'd just settle for 'fear of needles' after all. Looking at Shalua, he saw that all colour had drained from her face. Vincent's unexpected outburst must have frightened her out of her wits.

"Vincent, calm down. It's me, Reeve. Hojo won't torture you anymore. Those days are over. This doctor won't hurt you. He's a friend. You don't need to--------"

Before he could finish, the doctor grabbed a now distracted Vincent's arm and inserted the needle in a flash. He pushed all the liquid in, and pulled out the instrument in record time.

"Is that a fear of needles I'm sensing, Mr. Valentine? Well that had to be done. And as much as you might hate me for it, I'll see to it that it will be done every five hours on the hour. There's no use in fighting me. I'm doing it for your own good, and that would definately not be to hurt you."

The doctor cocked an eyebrow and stared at Vincent pensively, waiting for some sort of a sign that he had understood. Shalua and Reeve had been reduced to stunned silence. Even Reeve, who had known Vincent for years couldn't guess his reaction.

Vincent's head slowly turned towards the doctor. His eyes gradually began to focus again, and the look of fear vanished from his face. Panting shallowly, he gave a curt nod.

"I'm……sorry……..", he wheezed, evidently exhausted and out of breath. "I just…..memories…….I got……carried away………"

"That's fine. There's no need to apologize, Mr. Valentine. You're not the only grown man that shies away from needles", at this, the doctor looked pointedly at Reeve, who avoided his gaze in embarrassment. "There are plenty of people in the world with that fear. Now. Before I let you rest, I'll check your lungs. That wheeze sounds rather unhealthy."

Moving to sit beside his patient, Sam, as Shalua and Reeve had taken to calling him, revealed his stethoscope and proceeded to give him a sound check up.

"Deep breath in, and then slowly out, Mr. Valentine. Tell me if it hurts where I'm pressing, and I'll stop."

Vincent visibly relaxed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply as instructed.

"Hm. That doesn't sound good at all", Sam murmured as he moved the stethoscope to different places on Vincent's chest gingerly, in an attempt not to push too hard on his mangled ribs. The gunman's breaths were wheezy and uneven.

"How long have you been ill?"

"Since I……..since I came back from Edge. About three days ago", Vincent muttered. He hated being interrogated like this. It made him feel like an invalid. Although he supposed he was one at the moment anyways. But he knew he owed it to the doctor for what had happened earlier.

His nose was running again, and he gratefully accepted the tissues Reeve pushed into his hand.

"Why didn't you inform anyone that you were ill? You would have saved yourself a great amount of trouble. And the situation might very well not have gotten so out of hand."

All three, the medic, Shalua and Reeve looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Vincent cringed.

"It's just a harmless cold…..", he muttered, avoiding their eyes.

Reeve and Shalua gawked at him, and the doctor raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"A cold? Mr. Valentine, I'll have you know that your "harmless cold" is actually full blown pneumonia, and a bad case of it to boot. A good week and a half of bed rest and correct medications will get you back in shape though. I've been told you heal quicker than most others……" The doctor eyed him suspiciously, as if ready to strap him to the bed if he protested.

"I……can't stay here that long…..", Vincent murmured sleepily. Whatever pain medication he had been given was beginning to take its toll rather brutally. His eyelids turned to lead and he struggled to keep them open.

"I'll have none of that, Mr. Valentine", the medic replied to his comment sternly. "Don't make this difficult for yourself."

Vincent, who was fighting to stay awake, still didn't look convinced.

So Shalua, who seemed to have snapped out of her fearful trance from before, tried her luck.

"Vincent…..please", she began kindly sitting down on the edge of his bed. "I'm sure Deepground will lie low for a bit after losing Azul. I know you're on a tight schedule, but can't you spare just a little time to get well? It wouldn't kill you to catch up on some sleep. You're deprived of it already as it is. Who knows when you'll get the chance to peacefully sleep through the night again?" Shalua looked in worry at the dark circles under Vincent's eyes. He was far too pale, and could really use some rest.

Vincent moved his head slightly, to look at her through pain-filled, tired eyes. Why in the world did this woman have to be so damn convincing? It seemed he could make any excuses, and she would think of a way to counter them all. He hoped Reeve knew what he was getting himself into.

"Fine……..", he relented. He had absolutely no fight left in him. He wanted to sleep. He really did, but that against his better judgement. He knew that if he fell asleep again, the nightmares would eat him alive. Even with the powerful painkillers, he knew the horrifying dreams wouldn't stop. He needed to be in a slumber so deep that he was oblivious to everything around him.

He hadn't felt this at loss in a very long time.

"It's fine, Mr. Valentine. You can sleep now", the doctor pointed out, seeing that Vincent had given up trying to protest. With it being three against one, he hadn't really stood a chance to begin with. Packing his black bag, he murmured to Reeve an assurance that if anything was the matter, they should come get him immediately. With that he left the three of them alone once more.

When Vincent continued to force his eyes open, Reeve realized there must be something wrong. Why wouldn't his friend want to sleep? He though long and hard. What could possibly………? He realized it faster than he expected.

Nightmares. Vincent had already suffered from them during the Jenova Wars, and now seemed to be no exception. It had happened here too. It had taken Shalua to hold him for the man to calm down marginally. It was unpredictable. They could come, or they could not. Vincent was obviously not ready to take that chance.

Reeve sighed in frustration, and building agitation.

Damn Hojo. That bastard wouldn't even give Vincent a break when he was ill. First the demons, then the needles, and now this.

Without something stronger than painkillers, Vincent wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully for very long. He'd seen it happen on their travels three years ago.

And it was something Reeve never wanted to experience again.

* * *

Another cliffy. I know. I'm sorry. But it had to be done. The chapter was getting to be too lenghy. And that will result in the next chapter being...(drumroll please)...One large flashback! Yay! Aren't you all excited...(drip, drip, drip...the sarcasm.)...

Well I don't know. Maybe you are excited. Feedback is rather welcome after all.

And don't you people just wanna shoot Hojo...?


	13. Starry Night

Greetings and welcome to **the flashback.** I don't have time for an overly lengthy authors note today, but thanks for the reviews and I've included a few other characters in this chapter to satiate anyones need for people other than Vincent, Reeve and Shalua. But that'll probably be it with other characters for the rest of the story. If I tried to fit them in, the whole plot would go haywire.

And for the last time, Vincent will **not **die. He'll be alright. Just be patient...

Now it's off to work!

Cheers and enjoy!

Kyyrin

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Cait Sith lay on his back on a cliff not far from their chosen campsite, gazing at the stars in the sky._

_The others had long since fallen asleep in their tents, seeing as it was well past midnight._

_He didn't need sleep. And his creator couldn't afford to risk any._

_Reeve sat on a hard, metal chair in his office on the tenth floor of the Shinra building. He stared longingly at the beautiful, clear heavens through the eyes of his invented robot. How he wished he were lying out there now._

_It hadn't been noticed yet._

_Scarlet and Heidegger hadn't noticed it yet._

_Tseng and the rest of the Turks hadn't noticed it yet._

_Hell, even Rufus Shinra himself had overlooked it._

_Reeve had betrayed them, and they hadn't even __**noticed**_

_He shook his head slowly, a sad smile playing on his lips. This company was too ignorant for it's own good. He didn't doubt they would notice it eventually. And he wouldn't be let off easy. By no means. If anything, he would suffer a punishment far greater than an ordinary criminal. Betraying the Shinra almost always meant certain death._

_**Almost**__ always._

_Reeve kept holding onto a thread of hope that he might get out of this alive. But he was beginning to realize that it wouldn't be so easy. Little by little he was preparing himself for his death sentence._

_Sighing, he turned his attention back to the stars, continuing to admire their radiant beauty. Perhaps Aeris was up there. Watching over them in the Lifestream. Planet, he missed her. He couldn't convey his feelings through the robot, but he certainly felt them now. He had cried when Aeris was murdered._

_All the more reason to kill that monster Sephiroth._

_He was cruelly ripped from his train of thought by a terrified scream that came from the outskirts of the camp. The mechanical cat jumped, as did Reeve. Wondering what the hell could be wrong at this hour, he manoeuvred Cait back in the direction of the camp rather hurriedly._

_As he neared the tents, he heard gasps coming from the woods nearby. Readying Cait's materia, Reeve walked the cat towards the noise. Pushing back the thick brush, he came to a small clearing._

_There, greeting him, was a sight that would remain branded into his memories forever._

_Vincent Valentine sat wrapped in his cape trembling violently._

_He turned his head slightly at the noise Cait had made, the expression on his face making Reeve start shock._

_Never before had he witnessed Vincent displaying the emotions he was now._

_The usually impassive, silent man had a look of indescribable fear on his face. Reeve had never seen him look so utterly petrified and forlorn. His eyes were unfocused and he was shaking wildly._

_Without giving it a thought, Reeve steered Cait towards Vincent's shuddering figure._

"_Vincent! What's wrong, lad?", the cat asked in his bright accent. Reeve cringed. He hadn't gotten as far as being able to project his own voice through the robot. He'd have to work on that. There were times where he didn't think everyone wanted a happy-go-lucky feline with a crown on its head bouncing around. And now was no exception._

_But he had to focus on the task at hand._

_Vincent blinked in surprise and stared at him rather incoherently, a look of fright in his crimson eyes._

"_Cait……what? What are you doing here? What happened?", he murmured softly, looking strangely at the cat that had now plopped itself down beside him and was looking at him in concern. As much concern as a robotic cat could convey, he supposed._

"_Don't you remember, lad? You screamed. Rather loudly. Sounded terrifying, it did. And look at you. You look as if you're about to be beheaded by the Knights of the Round themselves! What on earth is the matter?"_

_Reeve grimaced slightly. He hadn't meant for his concern to come out that way, but he guessed if Cait had said anything else, it would've sounded silly. His creation wasn't at all known to be serious._

"_I……I'm not sure……", Vincent whispered, still shaking. "It was just………horrifying."_

"_A bad dream?", Cait suggested, looking Vincent straight in the eye._

_Reeve knew his guess had been correct even before Vincent answered._

"_I……yes……I supposed t-that's what it was……a……nightmare"._

_Reeve watched as Vincent proceeded to complete a feat Reeve never thought he was capable of._

_The gunman drew his knees to his chest, and wrapped is arms around them, cape splayed out to the sides and waving gently in the wind. He rocked back and forth, staring at seemingly nothing._

_He looked like a lost child. A far cry of the intimidating gun wielder he usually was._

_Reeve's heart ached for the man. It was hard to see someone who was usually so strong, nearly invincible, in this state. He was at a loss._

_Carefully, he let Cait place a white-gloved hand on Vincent's upper arm in an attempt to reassure him. The man tensed and turned away._

"_It was only a dream, lad. It's all over now, no need to worry. Did you want to tell me about it? Perhaps you'll feel better."_

"_I……I dreamt……of my past", Vincent murmured, almost as if in a trance. He stopped rocking and let his knees fall back to the ground. _

"_Hojo……he experimented on me………and on………her…………Lucrecia…………the pain was…………almost too much to bear………and the demons…………they haunt me every night………"_

_Reeve was speechless. Vincent had never spoken this openly about his past before. How was he to reassure such a broken person? He hadn't lived through anything near as heartbreaking and horrifying as Vincent. Swallowing, he gathered his courage._

_If there was one thing he had learned, it was that actions had more of an impact then words ever did._

_To Vincent's utmost surprise, Reeve moved Cait to jump into his lap. He nuzzled the cat to the gunman's chest, wrapping its small, scrawny arms around his thin frame._

"_Wha----? Cait………", Vincent began, but made no move to remove the feline from his waist._

"_Relax, lad. It seemed like you needed a hug. Friends stick together. So why should this be any different?"_

_Very slowly, Vincent wrapped his arms, both metal and non, around the little cat and clung to Cait for dear life. He channelled all his hurt and fear into the tiny creation, trying to make himself feel better. The cat seemed to absorb all his sorrow, and hugged him tighter._

_Slowly but surely, Vincent felt his panic ebb, and the wild shakes subside. He actually began to feel very, very tired. It had been days since he had gotten at least a partially decent amount of sleep, and he so wanted to succumb to slumber that it was almost unbearable._

_But he couldn't. He was scared to death of the nightmares. It seemed they followed him from the coffin out into the open as well._

"_Go to sleep, lad. I'll be here if you need me", he heard the cat murmur. _

"_I……can't, Cait………I won't be able to sleep long……I'll just wake up……screaming again", he mumbled wearily. "You should go………it's not safe………the demons"._

_Back in the Shinra building, Reeve stared at the computer screen helplessly. Vincent was desperately trying to push him away. Not out of hate, but out of concern that he might hurt his comrade. Planet, there had to be some way he could ease the suffering of this man._

_He racked his brain for ideas, and eventually, one came to him. Perhaps, if he could get Vincent to sleep deep enough, the demons would leave him alone. But that would involve………_

_Reeve bit his lip. It would be low down. Vincent would never agree to it if he asked him. It was a bit farfetched, but it might work._

_Cait was a master when it came to working with materia. He'd had the robot perfect nearly every spell there was. A ball of green Sleep materia happened to be among those. If he could get Vincent to hold still long enough for Cait to cast it, there may be a chance that his friend would be able to catch up on some rest._

_Reeve nervously powered up the Sleep materia that Cait kept on a leather armband. He silently prayed it would be quiet enough for Vincent not to notice. This was not to be. Cait had nearly finished the spell when Vincent spoke._

"_Cait. What are you doing?"_

_The cat stopped mid-spell, fishing for a clever reply._

"_Fine. Let me rephrase that. Reeve, what are you doing?", came the emotionless monotone. Vincent had now sat up straight and was rigidly tense._

_Reeve's hands froze over the computer controls._

_Had Vincent just addressed __**him**_

"_I am waiting, Tuesti. Why are you casting magic on me without my permission?"_

"_I-I don't……I mean, I didn't want……", Reeve stuttered, more to himself then to Vincent. He knew the man couldn't hear him. Pulling himself together, he answered through Cait._

"_I'm casting Sleep on you, lad. I thought maybe--------"_

_With inhuman speed, Vincent yanked the cat from his waist and flung it to the ground. Cait's head hit the ground so hard that Reeve's computer screen flickered._

"_What right do you seem to think you have to do __**that**__?", came the now angry reply, as the gunman stood, towering over the feline. Reeve could hear tinge of betrayal in Vincent's tone. He'd have to catch this before it got too out of hand._

"_Vincent, lad", the cat began in a pleading tone, pushing itself up on it's elbows to look at the menacing man above him. "I……I mean, we, Reeve and I are worried for your health. We thought you'd be able to sleep without interruptions if we cast that spell. It was a kind gesture, really……"_

_Reeve positioned Cait's head to look into Vincent's eyes. He needed to let Vincent know that he wasn't an enemy. He just wanted to help. Really………_

_At Cait's explanation, Vincent's cold stare softened noticeably. But he still seemed wary._

"_What stopped you from asking me first then?"_

_Reeve swallowed._

"_Well, actually……", Cait stammered, both creation and owner searching for fitting words. "Actually we didn't think you'd allow us………"_

"_So you assumed, and decided not to ask at all. I see."_

_Vincent's cold gaze had returned, and he turned his back to Cait, pacing a few steps before speaking once more. This time, however, his voice was a mere whisper._

"_Do you………do you think it would work, Reeve?", he murmured, with his back still facing them._

_Reeve raised an eyebrow. Well. He'd been expecting many things, but defiantly not that. Vincent sounded almost desperate. He was almost………pleading. Reeve considered the question a moment. Did __**he**__ think it would work? Well yes, actually. He did. But to find out, they'd just have to try it, wouldn't they?_

"_I believe so, lad. And besides. It wouldn't hurt to try. If it works, you will have a way to sleep at night. If it doesn't, well………You have nothing to lose."_

_At this, Vincent turned to him, eyes holding a look of sadness that Reeve had never seen before. It nearly brought tears to his eyes._

_Sadness and longing. It seemed Vincent longed for the chance to sleep normally after endless years of nightmares._

"_Well………I suppose I will allow you to try it then", he said softly, not breaking eye contact with Cait. "I am……sorry if I have injured you in any way, Cait. You meant no harm. I let my temper get out of hand."_

_Reeve noticed another emotion had been added to Vincent's eyes._

_Regret._

_Not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer than necessary, Cait spoke._

"_S'alright, Vincent. I should've asked. But let's get on with it, shall we? Why don't you lie down?" Cait didn't bother asking why Vincent wasn't sleeping in his tent. He viewed the current situation as answer enough._

_Vincent obliged rather quickly, and settled himself down on the mossy ground, seemingly eager to get it over with. It was simple. He'd either sleep, or he wouldn't. And he wanted to find out fast._

_Cait sauntered over to Vincent's sprawled form, and plunked down beside him unceremoniously. Lifting a hand, he gently placed it on Vincent's chest. He began the spell with renewed vigor, pushing all his energy and hope into it. Back in Midgar, Reeve murmured fervent prayers to the Planet. To Aeris. To anyone, that Vincent would sleep soundly._

_Bit by bit, Vincent's eyes began to droop shut. It had seemed to take a while. The demons in Vincent's mind were no doubt fighting the spell with every ounce of strength they possessed. But they didn't hold out very long. The spell was strong and ruthless, breaking the demons' barriers wall after wall. Once completely sedated, they seemed to move out of his consciousness, and Vincent's heavy eyelids dropped shut. His chest rose and fell in even, peaceful breaths._

_He was finally sleeping._

_Both Cait and Reeve let out the breath they had been holding. It had worked. But they had to be sure he slept the entire night. Only then would it be certain the casting Sleep would relieve his anguish._

_Cuddling up to the gunman's side, Cait and Reeve held vigil over their exhausted friend all night. There wasn't so much a hint of any nightmares. It seemed they had truly found a solution to the problem after all._

_As dawn broke, Cait heard sounds of preparation from the camp. The team was getting ready for the day. It was time to get a move on._

_Sitting up, he decided he was reluctant to wake Vincent._

_The man looked so at peace._

_Crimson cape wrapped around him, ebony hair flowing to the sides, a relaxed look on his usually stern features. He looked so at peace that it was hard for Cait to pull through with the action of waking him._

"_**Cait? Vince?**__ Where the __**hell**__ are ya both?"_

_Cid's gravelly shout broke through the morning silence._

_Turning back to Vincent, Cait decided it was now or never. Reaching over, he gently shook Vincent's shoulder, attempting to rouse him. To no avail. Vincent didn't so much as stir._

_Back in the Shinra building, Reeve smirked in self-satisfaction at the fact that his last resort had worked so well. The sleep spell had obviously been so thorough that it would take a while for Vincent to wake up._

_Cid's calls became for persistent. Well, persistent meaning he was resorting to letting loose a long chain of curses, evidently annoying the rest of the group._

"_&#$! Where the &#$ are you two? If you both &#$'in tried to run off cause you're chickening out, I'll hunt you down an'------"_

"_Cid, shut the hell up!", Barret roared from somewhere across the camp._

"_Yeah, no kidding! Stuff it, old man!", came Yuffie's irritated yell. The comment was followed by a crash, loud yells from Cid, and smug laughter from the ninja._

_Cait shook Vincent's shoulder harder, but it was no use. Vincent had obviously been so tired that he was now oblivious to everything around him. Cait supposed that he was taking advantage of the fact that his demons had left him in peace for the time being._

"_Vincent! Cait! Come on! Are you guys out there? We're on a tight schedule!"_

_This time it was Tifa. Cait started to panic. There had to be some way he could………_

_Reeve stifled a chuckle. Vincent would probably never forgive him for what he was about to do, but it had to be done. And at the current moment, he couldn't ask Vincent's permission………_

_Raising Cait's hand above Vincent's head, he powered up a weak version of a different spell. To his surprise, his robot spoke to him._

"_Reeve? Are you sure this is a wise idea? I mean, who's to say it wouldn't work, but you won't be the one getting the brunt of his reaction, lad………", Cait trailed off nervously._

"_Oh for Shiva's sake, Cait. If he gets angry, then blame it on me. Pull yourself together!"_

_And with that, Cait spoke the spell, praying he'd be spared from Vincent's early morning wrath._

"_Water!", the cat stuttered and with that, a none to gentle splash of the ice cold liquid hit Vincent directly in the face._

_The surprised gunman snapped into a sitting position, sputtering and shivering, his soaked hair now plastered to his face. His eyes fell on Cait, and the cat gave a frightened squeak before disappearing behind the nearest rock._

"_What the……__**hell**__?", Vincent muttered, rubbing his eyes forcefully. That had been a rather rude awakening. He had been sleeping so peacefully………wait. He had been sleeping? Right. Of course. Cait and Reeve._

_He looked around, trying to locate the small cat that had hurriedly scurried out of sight. He spied Cait, peeking fearfully out from behind a nearby rock._

"_Cait? Why are you hiding?", Vincent inquired, standing and moving towards the cat. He squeezed the remaining water out of his hair and crouched to look the tiny robot straight in the eye._

"_I t-thought you'd be a-angry……", Cait stammered, dumbfounded the Vincent hadn't yet shot him to kingdom come. "The water………?"_

_Vincent stared. That had been Cait? A frown settled onto his features, but oddly, he felt no anger towards the terrified cat, who stared at him wide-eyed._

"_And why, may I ask?", he continued smoothly._

"_Well, damn, lad. I cast sleep on you last night, a-and I must have knocked you out pretty well because you didn't respond to any of my attempts to wake you. So I……or rather Reeve resorted to………that", Cait explained, still waiting for Vincent to blow his top._

_The feline gaped as Vincent's frown disappeared, and was replaced by a look of gratitude._

"_I……I slept? All night?", he murmured softly, still staring at Cait._

"_Sure did, lad. Without any interruptions. Made us happy, that did. I hope you caught up on a bit of sleep. If you want, I can do it every night. Maybe it would train the demons to leave you be at night", the cat looked up at Vincent hopefully. Reeve sincerely hoped that Vincent would take him up on the offer. A few hours of peaceful sleep couldn't compensate for months of insomnia._

_Vincent looked at Cait in awe._

"_You would……do that……for me?"_

"_Of course, lad. We're friends, right? And it made me happy to see you being able to sleep through the night. So that's settled then. Now I think we'd best get going before---"_

"_Well, __**there**__ you both are!"_

_Cait and Vincent turned to face Tifa and an indignant looking Cid who was glaring ferociously at a triumphant Yuffie._

"_Sleepyheads! Why weren't you in your tents last night?", Yuffie sang, walking over and proceeding to tug at Vincent's cape._

_Pulling his cloak from her grasp, the ever impassive expression returning to his face. he stood._

"_Cid snored so loudly that we could hear in our tent on the other side of the camp. Please excuse our lateness. We will join you all shortly………", he stated, giving the now abashed Cid a pointed look._

_The last sentence was said in a tone meant to hint that he would like to be left alone a few moments longer. Tifa caught the hint and motioned for Yuffie and Cid to leave as well. Once they were gone, Vincent turned his attention back to Cait._

"_Good excuse, lad. It wasn't a complete lie. Cid does snore rather loudly……"_

"_Cait"._

"_Yes?"_

"_I……thank you. I am forever in your debt. What you are doing for me is more that I deserve. The nightmares are……part of my eternal punishment……I shouldn't have dragged you into this………but thank you. For being here."_

_Reeve stared at the screen. What in Planet's name did Vincent think he was talking himself into? Eternal punishment? No one deserved that………_

"_Vincent", Cait began in an uncharacteristically stern manner. "No one deserves to be plagued by nightmares, lad. And I don't know what you're punishing yourself for, but being robbed of your sleep is by no means a way to repent for any sins you may think you have committed………"_

_Vincent stared at Cait as if he had grown two heads. Since when had the happy-go-lucky feline become philosophical? This had to be Reeve talking. Definitely not Cait._

"_I………"_

"_Oh, drop it, Vincent. And you're welcome. I promise I will always have my materia loaded up before you go to sleep, all right? Now let's get a move on before Cid impales us with his sharp and pointy spear……"_

_Cait hopped out from behind the rock and bounced towards the camp, Vincent at his heels._

_Looking down at the cheerful cat, Vincent felt a small smile spread across his features. He liked Cait. He liked Reeve. _

_And he __**owed**__ Reeve._

_Big time._

* * *

Cait and Reeve kept their promise. He used his Sleep materia on Vincent every night till the end of their journey. The gunman's mood improved significantly. He caught up on his

After Sephiroth was defeated, the group went their separate ways. They were separate, but as far as Vincent's nightmares went, he never complained. They had nearly lost all contact to one another, but had never really thought much of it.

Reeve had assumed the demons had maybe decided to leave him alone at night, but now, looking at his ill, sleep-deprived friend, he realized just how wrong he'd been. The demons seemed to have realized that the cat wasn't bothering them anymore, and attacked Vincent's mind with a vengeance.

Planet, he felt so guilty. He hadn't even kept in touch with Vincent much over the past three years. He realized how completely selfish it had been to lose all contact with his friend and then call him up out of the blue to request a meeting, an action that resulted in recruiting, or rather almost forcing Vincent to work for him.

Well. This was his fault then. He'd take the blame. He was ok with that. Taking the blame was something he did often. He'd learned to not think anything of it anymore.

Fingering the orbs of materia on his belt and swallowing hard, Reeve bent down to Vincent and whispered,

"Vincent. I know it's been a long time, but if you want, I can…….I can…..".

Reeve couldn't seem to get the words out. Try as he might, the guilt he felt at having forgotten about his friend for so long, held him back.

Vincent turned to him slowly, a look of realization materializing on his face.

"You mean……I………would you, Reeve?"

Reeve stared at Vincent in wonder. He wasn't angry? He wasn't the least bit angry with Reeve for leaving him to fend for himself with those nightmares for three years?

Looking at his friend, he saw they held the same look that they had on that starry night three years ago. He was pleading.

"Of course. Of course I would, Vincent. I can't believe I forgot about your nightmares like that. I'm so sorry. You must have suffered endlessly. It's------"

"It's not your fault. That's what it is, Reeve. It's not. Don't blame yourself. And I would appreciate it now."

Reeve swallowed, and nodded. He spared a look at Shalua, who was watching them in confusion, obviously not understanding what the hell was going on. She wouldn't. He supposed he'd explain it to her later.

"Alright……..here goes, then."

Donning the materia, Reeve gently pressed it to Vincent's chest, and murmured the spell softly. He pushed as much of his energy into it as he could spare without collapsing. Vincent's eyes began to drop shut. Before he dropped off, however, he whispered something for Reeve's ears alone.

"And maybe…….you could wake me up……..politely this time…….."

* * *

I had lot's of fun writing this chapter...I'm not sure why...(see water on Vincent's head) 


	14. Reminisce

Hello readers! I'm back, after a long wait. Apologies again. I've been so busy with getting a job and working, and preparing for my sister's presence to enter the house. She's coming to visit me on Saturday, and I'm all excited (can't you tell?)!

It seems I'm sort of in a flashback sort of mood lately, because there's another flashback in this chapter as well, though not as long as that in the previous one. And…..surprise, surprise. (Note that all flashbacks are in italics along with Vincent's, and some other people's thoughts. Hopefully they're easy enough to tell apart...)

This chapter is completely devoted to…….Reeve and Shalua! I've was wrestling with the idea of giving them their own chapter, and this is what came out. I'd appreciate any feedback at all telling me how I did in portraying them. Speaking of that…..

……..from finally reading the character infos on the DoC website, I've found out that Reeve is (cringe), actually 38 years old. And that Shalua (wince), is actually only 24. Alright. My first reaction……well, I screamed. Rather loudly, at that. I'm sure the rest of the inhabitants of the house thought I had lost my mind, but I had to let out my frustration somehow, seeing that I still don't have my DoC game to use as anger outlet. I was rather shocked at the fact that I had paired up a young Shalua with a guy that is fourteen years older than herself. I don't know about you people, but I really thought that either Reeve was younger, or that Shalua was older. I mean, they look to be the same age, don't they? Hell, I thought Reeve was like, Vincent's (physical) age or something! I really did!

So. Taking all that into consideration, I decided to continue on with my story as if I had never found that out, and as if Reeve and Shalua are at least somewhat closer to one another in years. Damn…..Reeve is another one of those people that are like, age old, and look like they're much younger. Kinda like Johnny Depp or someone else that's old but looks young.

Wow. I just had a very interesting mental image of Reeve as Jack Sparrow.

Strange...

(Jumps for joy at the fact that POTC 3 comes out tomorrow… I am a diehard fan. Grin.)

Alrighty……moving on……quickly.

Thank you all once more for the reviews of encouragement! (Thanks to itachi1lover for so many) I happily await more. The group that always reviews this story has grown on me (smile)! Yes. Every single one of you (does a happy dance of gratitude).

So I wish you all well, and cheers!

Kyyrin

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

"So let me get this straight", Shalua addressed Reeve, who was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of Vincent's bed. "The only way he was able to sleep at all on your travels during the Jenova War was through a Sleep spell? That's just…..that's just wrong, Reeve. What the hell was done to him that he can't even **sleep **through the night?"

Shalua's voice had become indignant, and rose slightly.

"Would you mind giving me a heads up on Vincent's life, Reeve? All I know is that Dr. Crescent experimented on him with the Chaos gene. That's about as far as it goes. I also know that he was sleeping in a coffin when you found him, which is creepy in itself, but you never told me why. I want to know, Reeve. Now. No one should need to put into a materia induced slumber to get their rest."

She stared at him defiantly, daring the man to argue with her. But her face fell and her expression softened as she saw the toll her outburst took on Reeve.

He dropped his face into his hands, sighing deeply and painfully. Rubbing his hands across his face and running them through his hair, his gray-green eyes moved to meet hers.

He looked completely run down.

If the stress and the guilt caused by the latest events hadn't been enough, he'd now used up his last reserves of energy to cast a powerful Sleep spell on Vincent. It was a wonder he hadn't already passed out.

Shalua felt her heart break. She decided right then and there that Vincent's life story could wait a bit. She felt responsible for Reeve in a way. He had, after all, taken her in, and from there on, had treated her with kindness that rivaled any brother/sister relationship. She had saved his life after she had been thrown into the cold, dank Shinra cell three years ago, and in return, he had given her a new life.

She could never forget that day, no matter how hard she tried.

She would never forget the image of Reeve lying discarded and broken in a corner, eyes pleading to be saved………

* * *

_"You assholes!", an enraged, Shalua Rui, with two real arms and both eyes, spat in the faces of the Shinra guards that harshly threw her into a dark, damp cell._

_"Watch your potty mouth, bitch", one of them drawled, cackling. "Don't worry. We're too kind. You're cell is the safest one around. I don't think you'll mind the traitor. Heh. Be happy we didn't throw you into a room with the serial murderer"._

_The two guards locked the cell, and stalked off howling in laughter._

_Shalua grasped the bars of her prison, knuckles turning white. Those bastards. What right did they have to treat her this way while they were killing the Planet?_

_She had been searching for information. Any information at all that might remotely help her in her search for Shelke. She had figured now that Meteor had been summoned, and Shinra's defenses seemed to be weakened, that sneaking into the Shinra Headquarters would be easy. Not one of her brighter ideas. A Turk had found her hacking into one of the computers, and promptly had her thrown in prisons in the basement. So much for that………_

_She was startled out of her angry reverie, when she heard a low moan come from the corner of the cell. She spun around, ready to fight, but dropped her fists in shock as she stared at the sight in front of her._

_A man, somewhat older than herself, lay slumped in the corner of the room. His body was bruised and battered, marred by gashes and black blue spots. She noticed his knee was horribly twisted out of place. Broken, most likely._

_Gasping in horror, she quickly ran over and knelt down beside him._

_"Dear Planet, are you alright, sir?", she inquired meekly, knowing full well that he wasn't, and taking in his features._

_"Huh………wha?…who're…… you?", came the hoarse whisper, as the half-conscious man stared blearily at her._

_"I'm your new roommate", she answered wryly. "Shalua Rui. And you are……?_

_"Ree…ve……Tues…ti", he murmured, in a voice that was airy and difficult to understand._

_"Well, I'll call you Reeve, if that's alright", Shalua continued, surveying his injuries. She would have to set that break. Normally she wouldn't have helped anyone that was even remotely connected to the Shinra, but she couldn't just leave the man in this state. _

_"You can call me Shalua, Reeve. I need you to keep talking to me. Don't pass out now", she uttered frantically, trying to keep the man conscious so he wouldn't go into shock._

_"So tell me, Reeve. Why are you in?", Shalua continued, moving her hands toward his injured leg. She decided she would try and keep him talking, and set the break while he was distracted._

_"Heh………long story……short……", Reeve began in a whisper. "Used to…work……here………betrayed……Shinra……helped save……the Planet instead……"_

_"And how did you get so badly injured?"_

_"They………tor……tured……me", he sighed faintly. "Gua……rds……"_

_His tale was cut short as he screamed in pain when Shalua picked that moment to set his broken bone._

_"Easy, Reeve. It had to be done", Shalua murmured soothingly, as she grasped his hand in hers, stroking it gently. He panted shallowly, and looked to be on the verge of passing out. She looked around, desperate for something to use as a splint. Noticing there were two beds in the cell, she let go of Reeve's hand momentarily and went to examine hers. Pulling up the mattress, she let out a sigh of relief as she spied the thin, wooden boards that supported the mattress. Two of those would do the trick, until she could convince those bastards to tend to the man. Her comfort could wait._

_Grabbing two of the planks, she yanked with all her might, and one by one they came free. Removing the nails, she grabbed her blanket and hurried back to Reeve. His eyes were half open, and he let out a moan of agony._

_"Shhhhhh………I'm going to splint your leg now. It'll feel better afterwards. Trust me", she encouraged, hoping she was right. Grasping his leg gently, but firmly, she straightened it out and placed the two boards on either side. Using her blanket, she ripped pieces off, and tightly wrapped the leg, forcing it to stay in one place, speaking a silent prayer to the Planet that it would mend itself quickly without leaving him crippled._

_Finishing up, she gazed back at her charge. She felt her heart ache in sympathy for the man. He had wanted to save the Planet, and had gotten these horrible injuries as thanks. He seemed to have given up everything. His life. Just as she had to find her sister. They were practically in the same boat._

_Looking in worry at the gashes and bruises that adorned his body, she decided she would use her last resort. She actually kept it for herself. No one had noticed it before. Perhaps because it was in such a………provocative place. Turning away, she reached into her bra and pulled out a mastered Cure 3 materia. She sighed. Rui, you are too much of a softy for your own good. But gazing back at the heavily injured man, her mind was made up. It didn't matter if he had formerly worked for the Shinra, for it now seemed he had no intentions of going back._

_Planting herself next to him, she donned the materia, pressed it against his chest, and spoke the spell, fervently praying it would at least get rid of any internal injuries, the gashes, and perhaps also the bruises._

_Her prayers were answered as Reeve's breathing began to even out and all the injuries visible to the eye, minus his nasty break, were healed in a heartbeat. Pumping a bit extra in just for good luck, she eventually hid the tiny globe again, and surveyed the patient._

_He was looking better. Nowhere near as pale and feverish as he had been before. He looked up at her weakly, and spoke, so softly she had to strain to hear._

_"Sh…alu…a……than…ks", he murmured, before beginning to drift off._

_"You're most welcome. But hold on there. Don't fall asleep yet, buddy", Shalua stated in amusement._

_Reeve's eyes blinked back open. "Wha--?"_

_Shalua gestured to his bed._

_"We need to get you in bed. You'll catch your death sitting on the freezing floor. Come on. I'll help you."_

_She wrapped an arm around his waist, and with his feeble attempts to help, they hoisted him up and laboriously onto his bed. Before lying him down completely, Shalua snatched her own pillow and added it to Reeve's. All that mattered at the moment was that he healed. Her comfort was of no concern._

_She was selfless like that. This man tugged at her heartstrings. His helplessness almost reminded her of………her sister. The day they took her away. She couldn't leave him like this. The painful memories would be too much to handle._

_Laying him back tenderly on both pillows, settling his injured leg into a comfortable position, and tucking him in, his drooping eyes met hers again. She returned the gaze, and unconsciously stroked his messy brown hair out of his face. What she saw in his eyes was enchanting. The gaze held so much more than words could say. It spoke of gratitude and thankfulness._

_"Sh…alu…a……", he started weakly, but she cut him off._

_"Rest, Reeve. It'll do you good. Don't talk. It'll waste your strength."_

_But he stopped only after saying one last thing._

_"Y-You……sav…ed……my……life……I……owe…you", he managed softly, and with that, drifted off into a healing slumber._

_Shalua felt a smile break out on her face. She liked this guy._

_Turning around, she knew thinking of him would make sleeping on the floor with a hard mattress, and neither pillow nor blanket, easier to bear._

And repaid her he had. They had escaped after Diamond Weapon attacked Midgar, and he had founded the WRO. Seeing that she had nowhere else to go, he took her in and gave her a job as a scientist. He tried his best to help her along in her search for her sister, even though she knew that he thought she was wasting her time. They both knew that once someone was taken by the Shinra, that the chances of finding them alive were slim, if any. But he had helped nonetheless. He seemed to have felt like he was repaying her by doing it. Their friendship blossomed. As did their love for each other.

He had been there when she had lost her eye investigating a mako reactor. He had been there when she had lost her arm after an explosion in Midgar. He had held her hand when a strange looking bunch of soldiers had shot her and she had to have half her organs reconstructed. When she had been too much pain to sleep at night, he had held her in his arms and had gently whispered that everything would be all right.

His devotion to her saw beyond her appearance and her flaws.

He loved her more than anything in the world.

And that was what Shalua cherished most.

* * *

"Reeve?", she inquired, standing and walking around the bed to him. "Why don't you go get some rest? The heads up can wait a while. Right now I'm more worried for your health as well. We don't need you getting sick too." 

She tenderly wrapped her human arm around him, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Come on, buddy. Vincent will be fine on his own for a while. Sam'll call us if anything happens. I have to go check up on Shelke, so come with me. Is your room still intact?"

Reeve said nothing, and just stared at Vincent's sleeping form. Shalua decided she'd take matters into her own hands. This was getting nowhere.

Grabbing him around the waist, she pulled him up into a standing position, and hauled him away from Vincent's bed and out of the med ward. He wrestled in her grip, but she didn't let go.

Once outside, and far away from the sick bay, she finally let him go and turned to face him.

"Reeve. Vincent will be fine without you. I know you care about him but that doesn't justify jeopardizing your own well-being. The WRO needs you healthy and fit. Not ill and depressed. And you haven't answered my question yet, Reeve. Is your room still intact?"

He slowly lifted his head to gaze at her. She was instantly heart broken. He looked so sad and……..ashamed? Oh Planet. She had just gone through that with Vincent, and now she'd have to have the same talk with Reeve? When would these two men realize that they didn't have to blame themselves for everything? She sighed loudly, and cocked an eyebrow at him. Men. Sometimes they were such babies.

"Reeve", she tried again. "Forget the WRO for a second. Forget Vincent. Focus on yourself. I know you feel responsible for this, but it's really not your fault that Deepground attacked. We would have had it coming sooner or later; fact is it just came sooner than expected. And in regards to Vincent, whatever guilt you're feeling because of his nightmares, let it go. I mean, he even **told you** that it wasn't your fault. And it isn't. You couldn't have known that they would start up again after you stopped putting him to sleep. You're really starting to worry me, Reeve. I always relied on you for happy-go-luckiness and encouragement, but now it seems that tables have turned. You're usually the one bringing me up out of some pit of despair. Now look at you! I'm trying to drag **you** out of one! Snap out of it!"

She finished and waited for his reaction, praying that he would give her one. He did. But it wasn't one she expected, though she welcomed it.

He made eye contact with her, and walked over, enveloping her in a warm, gentle embrace. She was surprised to say the least, but she tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist as well and hugged him back.

"I'm……I'm so sorry for worrying you, Shalua. I keep telling Vincent not to dwell on the past, but look at me. I'm…..I'm just as bad as he is……"

"Oh, **good**, Reeve! I'm glad you realized it so quickly! It took me far longer to get Vincent to", Shalua voiced her relief, and pushed Reeve back by the shoulders so that he was facing her. "Now. I think this is possibly going to be my billionth time asking you, but is your room-----"

"Yes, Shalua. My room is still intact and I **will** go sleep, all right? But……..will you be there when I wake up?", he whispered, for her ears only.

"Maybe…….depends if you want me there or not", she murmured back seductively, teasing him back and running a hand through his hair.

"Hmmm. I'll have to think long and hard about that…….", Reeve replied softly, working up the last of his strength to give her a cocky, reassuring grin that made his eyes twinkle.

"I…..I love you, Shalua", he murmured genuinely, gazing deeply into her one eye.

Any weight of worry or concern that Shalua had felt melted instantly, and she returned his grin with a heartfelt smile of her own.

"I love you too, Reeve. And don't you ever forget it you stubborn ass", she stated smirking, as she guided him towards his quarters.

Gazing at man she could now confidantly label as her 'boyfriend', she realized that merely his presence reassured her during hard times. It was so hard to ever stay anger or annoyed with him longer than a day. He had too much of a positive attitude for anyone to be able to hold anything against him.

And there was that one thing that lifted her spirits the most.

That smile.

She sighed softly.

If he could still smile, then everything would be ok.

* * *

Right. So I think I'm gonna need a bit of help now, if you would all be so kind. It seems I have temporarily run out of ideas of how to continue and connect the rest of this fic to the ending and the epilogue I've already written. I suppose my little Vincent muse will come back to brood in my mind eventually, but perhaps you folks have some great ideas of what should happen next. Feel free to write them in the reviews, and I'll see if I can incorporate them into the story without leaving the path of the DoC plot too much. 

Ciao!


	15. Journey

Greetings! Welcome back guys. I know you all waited way to long for this chapter, but my Vincent muse just appeared again recently. And I've been so busy with other shit that I just didn't have the time to update sooner.

So. First of all. **Who **saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3? Wasn't that just the most amazing movie on the face of the planet? It totally rocked! Heh...yes, Hikari. Captain Reeve Sparrow. I actuially thought of that when I was watching the movie (grin).

Alright then. Moving right along...here's the long awaited chapter. The story is gradually coming to an end, so be warned. I have some others though...I'm just not sure whether to post them or not...

So enjoy and cheers!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

****Chapter Fifteen**

"_Vincent……Vincent! Wake up, sleepyhead!"_

* * *

"Vincent. Hey! Vincent, come on! Reeve told me to do it nicely, so I am!……..For Ifrit's sake, wake up Vincent! I'll pour water on you're head……." 

Vincent groggily lifted his heavy eyelids. Whatever the first part of the sentence was, he hadn't understood. But as far as the last bit went………

"Don't..…..Shalua…..I'm…..awake…..", whispered weakly. He had heard someone calling him. Before Shalua. It was a woman. It had sounded like……

"So! You're awake? Bout time….."

Vincent blinked slowly to clear his line of sight.

Shalua was bent over him, and seemed to be examining him thoroughly.

"Wow, I mean when I first saw you I'd never have pegged you as a deep sleeper, but you sure proved me wrong….", Shalua chuckled softly, brushing the stray strands of hair out of Vincent's face. "Care to know how long you've been sleeping, buddy?"

Vincent wasn't sure he even wanted to know. Though he assumed it must have been quite awhile. He actually felt somewhat…….better. And above all, the pain in his ribs and head had vanished completely. Now he was only left to deal with a rather annoying headache, a sore throat, and the pain in his chest when he breathed as well as the other normal cold symptoms.

"Well, I'll tell you then", Shalua remarked airily. "You, Mr. Valentine, have been sleeping soundly for three days. Respect to Reeve. I have **never** seen anyone pull a Sleep spell that strong. He really gave it his all. But he paid for it too…….."

Shalua trailed off and a sad look crossed her features. Vincent eyed her quizzically, and a feeling of foreboding began to settle in his stomach. What had happened to Reeve?

"Where's……Reeve…..?", he inquired softly, trying to read her emotions. It was difficult. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had been able to master the hiding of feeling. Shalua seemed sad, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong just by looking at her.

"He's……well……he's been sleeping for practically as long as you have. He was completely run to the ground after the Deepground attack, and using the materia on you just made it worse. And I don't by any means mean to make you feel guilty, but I'm just telling it how it is. He's not awake yet, and I'm reluctant to wake him because he really needs that sleep. He won't be able to function long without it."

Of course she hadn't meant to rouse feelings of guilt in him, but it happened anyways. He was rather sensitive when it came to things like that. He felt for his friend. Reeve did so much for him. How could he possibly return the favor?

"Reeve never was much the fighting type. He's more the highly intelligent mastermind behind things. He's used to stress, but when stress involves fighting, it drains his energy reserves completely. That's why he built Cait, but even then, Cait is only useful to a point."

"I…..understand. I….apologize. I shouldn't have asked him to cast the spell on me. I noticed he was not well. I should have let it be when I had the chance. Will he…….be alright?", Vincent murmured, slightly ashamed of himself. He had almost begged Reeve to put him to sleep, even though he had noticed his friend looked like hell.

"Hey, aw, no don't apologize, Vincent. It's not your fault. Let's change the subject, shall we? How're your ribs feeling? Your head?", she looked at him expectantly.

Vincent assessed his now seemingly non-existent injuries. Any pain in his ribs had disappeared, and the near to unbearable throbbing in his head had gone from excruciating to manageable. Though he wasn't surprised. Shalua had mentioned that he'd slept through the better part of three days. The newly delivered Cure materia must have been used on him while he had been out.

"Better…..than before…..completely healed, actually", he murmured softly, looking up at her. "But….."

"….But you're still hurting in one form or another", Shalua finished for him, and felt his forehead for fever. "Well, it's gone down but it has yet to vanish completely. I few days of bed rest and you should be fine though. You need anything?"

Vincent shook his head no.

"Alright then. I think I'll go check up on Reeve, if you don't mind. He practically passed out on me before we got into bed three days ago. I'm pretty worried as it is and…….Vincent Valentine, what the **hell** is so funny?"

Shalua glared at him incredulously. Vincent was fully aware that he had uncharacteristically snorted in laughter and let loose a miniscule smile.

And with good reason.

'_We?'_ If he had needed any further confirmation concerning Shalua and Reeve's relationship, he had just gotten it. It wasn't like him to laugh, but that slip had just been……hilarious.

"We?", he whispered questioningly, eyes still twinkling.

"What do you mean, 'we'? I don't know what the hell…..oh…….oohh", a small blush formed on Shalua's cheeks as it hit her why Vincent found her comment amusing in the first place.

But the blush vanished almost as quickly as it had come.

She gave Vincent a mischievous grin and stated,

"So?"

With that, she turned head on heels and left him lying there, still chuckling softly. If there was one thing she didn't do, it was beat around the bush. She was known to be painfully honest and straightforward with people. Reeve knew that, and Vincent had figured it out as well. She knew he knew about them, so there was no use hiding it.

So she and Reeve were together.

So what?

Big deal.

The whole world could know about and she would stand her ground.

* * *

Vincent's chuckles slowly subsided. This woman didn't need to be told twice when it came to honesty. She said as it was. Reeve could really learn a few things from her. 

But his marginally good mood faded when he began to ponder what action he should take next in the fight against Deepground. It was obvious that Reeve and Shalua needed him here, but he couldn't stay. He was a danger to them, and all the members of the WRO. He thought it a wonder that they hadn't already thrown him out. His being here would attract Deepground back like a magnet. They wouldn't be safe until he was gone. And besides. He had his own questions that needed answering.

"Why…..why, Lucrecia?", he muttered softly, a sad look overcoming his features. He tried so hard to hide his feelings from everyone, but when there was no one around, they managed to peek out from under the emotionless façade her always wore. And he knew Shalua was right. No matter how hard he tried to hide those feelings, they could always be seen in his eyes.

Forcing his mind back to his former train of thought, he absently flexed his metal claw.

The thought wouldn't leave him alone.

Had Lucrecia really used him as a research object for her Chaos theory? Was he nothing more to her than a discarded body that she took from Hojo to prove her thesis?

He shut his eyes tightly, willing the tightness in his chest to subside. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. There must be some place he could find out something more about Chaos. But where could he go?

He let his thoughts roam.

Cosmo Canyon? There were more than enough wise beings there that might be able to tell him something about the origins of Chaos. Nanaki, maybe. But no. He couldn't impose on the wise feline like that. Especially not with Deepground being on a rampage. Traveling there would again mean putting someone he cared for in danger. He didn't think he could deal with that again.

A stray thought crossed his mind. The only other place he could go, where there might be information and where he wouldn't be putting any loved ones in danger.

Nibelheim.

But going there would mean……….

Vincent curled himself into a ball in the bed and stared at his golden arm. Going to Nibelheim, to Shinra Manor, would torture his already broken heart without an end. His mental state would most likely take a turn for the worse. The memories that it would bring back………..Sweet Planet, he didn't think he'd be able to handle that.

But he had to.

He needed too.

For Lucrecia.

He knew Chaos and the other demons were his burden to bear for his inability to save her, but now it turned out that Chaos might be something more. He wasn't doing it for himself. No. He deserved this. But for her. He doubted the fact that she had experimented on him "for the hell of it", as Shalua had mentioned. So if that was the case, he needed closure that she had done it for a different reason. It would be an insult to her memory not to find out why she put Chaos in his body. She would have wanted him to find out.

Wouldn't she?

He sighed deeply. Yes. Nibelheim. That was his next destination. As soon as he was well enough to travel again, that is where he'd head. Shalua would understand. Reeve would understand.

Vincent relaxed a bit, relieved that he had a goal to accomplish. Stretching a bit, and wincing at the ache in his sore muscles, he decided that walking for a bit to stretch his legs wouldn't hurt. Sitting up slowly, knowing from past experiences not to rush things, he threw his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. He wavered weakly, unused to the action of standing after lying down for so long. Steadying himself, he stretched properly and walked out to the long room that called itself the med ward.

* * *

Reeve yawned and blinked sleepily, not quite awake yet. He felt someone rubbing his chest soothingly. 

"Shalua….?", he muttered, squinting at the blurry figure sitting next to him.

"Who else?", came the smooth reply as she bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Cait, maybe?", Reeve tried, attempting not to sound as tired as he still felt.

"Well good morning to you too, Reeve. Do you really thing Cait would rub your chest?", Shalua remarked, amusement evident in her voice. "Sleep well?"

Reeve paused a moment before answering. Had he slept well? It was a matter of how one viewed it, really. The first night had been amazing. He blushed a bit. That was because Shalua had been there, of course. Then he'd completely fallen asleep and had been dead to the world after that. Though it hadn't been one of the most peaceful slumbers. He'd been stressed and worried even in his sleep. He only hoped Vincent and the WRO had survived without his presence for a night.

"Thank you…..for last night Shalua. It was……amazing", he forced out, his blush deepening.

Shalua cocked an eyebrow, and an amused grin started to from on her features.

"Reeve, I don't know what you were doing last night, but I certainly wasn't part of it", she said, trying to stifle her laughter. Reeve obviously thought that he'd only slept through one night.

Reeve stared at her in horror.

"W-What? What do you mean……?", he sputtered. His blush was now at the point where even Vincent's eyes would seem light red.

"I mean, Tuesti, that you've slept soundly for three days. Seemed like you needed it too. You almost passed out on me before I could even get you lying down three days ago. I began to wonder how you held out as long as you did in bed anyways…..", she smirked seductively, and ruffled his hair.

Reeve looked positively mortified at the fact that he had slept three days without even waking once. The worry and concern he had felt in his dreams came back anew.

"But….I…..the headquarters! Vincent! How….what? This is crazy! I can't ever afford to sleep that long! Especially not with the situation the WRO's in at the moment. Why didn't you wake me up? And Vincent……I need to see him…."

"Wake you up? Like I hell I would've! You needed every minute of rest you got, Reeve! And you still look tired……", Shalua trailed off and cupped his face in both her hands. "I don't want to lose you too, Reeve. You looked horrible when I brought you up here three days ago. And you still don't look as well as I'd like you too. Vincent is fine now. He's still recovering from the pneumonia, but he'll be great in a few days, alright? So don't stress over it. I'll let you go see him, but under one condition……"

Reeve gently wrapped a hand around her wrist, and looked up at her expectantly.

"Reeve, do **not** overdo it. You're under enough pressure and stress as it is, and it's murder for your immune system to overwork yourself like you do. So stop worrying and take it easy. If I see you yawn even **once**, I'll pick you up and drag you back to bed myself, and you can protest and whine all you want. Got it?"

She giggled softly at the rather abashed look on Reeve's face. He sat up slowly, and nodded eagerly, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Shalua sighed, she needed to make sure he understood her. If this half-hearted response was all she was getting……….

Grabbing his face again, she pulled him into a passionate kiss that lasted a while, before breaking off and pulling back. They both sat there panting afterwards, Reeve giving her an extremely stunned look.

"I hope I have your full attention now, Reeve. Promise me that you won't run yourself to the ground. I need to hear it. Please……"

"I-I…..Shalua, of course I promise. I-I mean, if I mean that much to you…….You mean the world to me as well. I won't overdo it. I promise", Reeve stuttered breathlessly as he drew Shalua into a hug.

"You mean more than just 'much' to me, Reeve", Shalua murmured into his chest. "I don't know what I'd do if you………", she couldn't finished that sentence. It was too painful. If something happened to him, she didn't know what she would do.

"The same goes for me, Shalua. I'd be heart-broken if anything happened to you. But we have to face reality. If anything happens to me, I want you to promise that you won't dwell on it. I'm sure you have more important things to do than think of me. Right?"

Shalua felt her eyes well up with tears. He had never spoken to her about this before. But now, where the downfall of the WRO seemed realistic, none of them were safe. She supposed he was right. But still………

"Kay, Reeve. But you have to…..promise me too……you'll keep going if I…….you know……..right?"

"I…..I'll do my best, yes. Now", Reeve lifted her back into a sitting position gently. "I'm going to go see Vincent, and then maybe we can go grab something to eat. I'm……kinda hungry."

Shalua grinned at him. This was good. He was starting to eat again. He'd be alright.

"Ok. Well, come on! You could be gone already!"

Reeve gave her a sly look, and started to undress.

* * *

Vincent practically fell back onto his bed in exhaustion. He'd explored every single corner of the med ward, and was now beyond tired. It would take a while to get back in shape, he noted wryly. His injuries and this illness had taken an immense toll on his body. He didn't get sick often, but when he did it hit him hard. But what he felt now was more physical exhaustion than mental. He didn't want to sleep again, nor did he have any desire to take another trip around the med ward. 

In fact, he was hopelessly and utterly bored.

He coughed roughly and rubbed his chest afterwards at the pain. If he had a book, if there was someone, anyone, any**thing**, to entertain him right now, he'd welcome it. He had to get his mind off everything for a while.

Rubbing his nose, he sat up and searched his surroundings.

Hell, there wasn't even a TV…….

"Vincent?"

He turned his head at the voice. Reeve. Well that was a pleasant surprise. Nicely timed too. He faced his friend. Reeve looked…….well, better would e a bit of an overstatement, but he didn't look anywhere near as tired and haggard as he had when Vincent had last seen him. In fact, he looked rather peaceful. And cheerful.

"Reeve…….Hm. Good to see you. Did you sleep we--------?"

His question was cut off as Reeve all but flung his arms around him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Vincent stiffened in surprise, but remained where he was. He was fully aware that he had worried Reeve half to death, so if….hugging him made the man feel better, then Vincent would allow it. Just this once.

Vincent awkwardly wrapped both his claw and human arm around his friend fleetingly, letting go just as quickly. It was one thing to embrace Shalua, but Reeve? Vincent wasn't one for much contact with others. And he knew Reeve was aware of that.

Reeve must have realized he'd let himself go, and abruptly pulled back and sat on the bed, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"S-Sorry, Vincent. I'm just so glad you're……feeling better. I mean…y-you are aren't you?"

Vincent let himself produce a hint of a smile, and nodded. He saw Reeve visibly relax. His friend must have thought Vincent would shoot him after what he'd pulled.

"_I am really going to have to start getting rid of these stereotypes",_ Vincent thought in annoyance. He didn't really do much to make people like him. And it was starting to get rather annoying getting the same nervous looks from every person after he did something they weren't used to. He supposed he could try to conform to the rest of humanity a bit.

"Yes, I am Reeve. You look……better as well. I take it Shalua woke you up?"

"Yeah……", Reeve muttered, smiling slightly and turning red. But it was short-lived. He eagerly turned back to Vincent, with an ever-present smile on his face and asked, "So what's the verdict? They healed you, obviously. I was out for a good long while…..that much was brought to my attention, though. From what Shalua told me, you were sleeping as long as I was. Or vice versa. Planet, Vincent. You scared the hell out of Shalua and I. I've never seen you this bad off. Azul bashed you up something awful out there….."

Vincent nodded curtly. There was something that he needed to get off his chest. He was thankful to Reeve that he had saved him, but he wanted to let his friend know that he shouldn't have wasted precious materia on him.

"Reeve. I…..thank you for allowing me to be healed with the materia, but…..you shouldn't have. I know for a fact that there were more than enough wounded after the siege. The materia was sparse even after the delivery and I wasn't priority. You should have……"

Reeve was gaping at him, stunned. When he found his voice again, he seemed a bit unsure of what to say.

"Well…..then, Vincent. I……what should I have done?", Reeve questioned softly, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer. Vincent knew full well that Reeve wouldn't have left him to die, and he didn't know what other options there had been besides the materia.

Unless……..

"Reeve…..you should have just……put me in a heavily defended, empty room", Vincent murmured, averting his eyes before he continued on.

"And then…..the demons…….would have taken care of the rest……"

Vincent winced as his friend gave an audible gasp of horror. He decided right then and there that he should've kept that bit hidden. He berated himself for not thinking before he spoke. He realized that what he'd said had sounded almost...ungrateful. But if Reeve thought that as well, he didn't let it show.

"V-Vincent…..no…..that's just…..sick….", Reeve managed, before grabbing both Vincent's shoulders and yanking him around to face him.

"I-I've seen what those demons do to you when you transform. You did it more than enough times three years ago, and I don't really think I……..well, in any case, you shouldn't use them unless it's a matter of life and death, Vincent. An emergency. I've seen the toll they take on your body, and believe me, you'd probably be in worse condition now. I mean, y-you're ill and that transformation would have zapped all of your remaining strength and with it, your chance for survival……Vincent, you would've……."

"Reeve", Vincent interrupted desperately. "It **was **an emergency. And if it wasn't for me, you could have saved many more lives. You could have-------"

"Stop. Just stop it", Reeves voice was thick with emotion. Vincent realized his friend was on the verge of tears again. He sighed heavily. This was not what he'd wanted……

"You selfless bastard……..", Reeve whispered softly, as a tear slipped down his cheek. He had to make Vincent see that he was just as important as the rest of humanity. So he tried what Shalua had said to him a few days ago.

"Vincent, forget everyone else for a minute. Forget me, forget Shalua, forget the others. Concentrate on your own well being for once. Do you really think you would have been better off using your demons to heal yourself? Think about it. Long and hard."

And think Vincent did. No, of course he didn't expect he would have felt even marginally better after the change from man to demon. Sure, his injuries would be healed, but as far as his illness went……He'd noticed it when he had transformed in Edge. If anything, the symptoms had profoundly escalated afterwards. But still, he could have dealt with that. He had lived through worse……but looking at Reeve, he decided he'd best not tell his friend what was currently going on in his mind. Reeve was already taking his declaration hard enough, and arguing the fact wouldn't make anything better. And he had to admit, it did feel good to be cared for again after so long. It made him feel……..human……and accepted. To a point.

"I apologize, Reeve. It was not my place to say that after everything you did for me. I am grateful that you…considered my comfort and spared materia on me. And……I admit. Transforming would not have helped my situation much……."

Reeve's countenance improved considerably, and he studied Vincent to make sure he was being sincere. Good. That had been what he had wanted to hear from his friend. All this self-confidence build up stuff might just be working after all.

"Excellent. I'm glad you agree. I thought it would take a hell of a lot more persuading to get you to admit to that. You and I both know it's true. Now…….let me see. Are you hungry?"

Vincent smirked inwardly.

"Wow, Reeve. What a marvelous way to drastically change the subject……not even subtle."

Well, he supposed he was kind of hungry. All right, ravenous actually. It had been days since he'd last had any kind of solid food, and his stomach started to growl just at the thought of it. Rather loudly at that.

Reeve grinned widely, and offered a hand to help Vincent up.

"I guess that's settled then. Come on. I'm meeting Shalua at the canteen, so tag along! I'm sure you're just as hungry as I am, if not more. What do you say?"

Vincent took the hand and let his now healing body be helped up. Reeve patted him on the back, and they walked out of the med ward and down the hall.

Vincent allowed himself a slip in his usually cold demeanor.

"Reeve, I don't think I eat half as much as you…….."

"Oh really? Back at the Icicle Inn three years ago you chowed down on a hell of a lot more Chocobo burgers than me……..admit on….."

Vincent hid his surprise, and decided it was time that **he** changed the subject. If Reeve wasn't going to be subtle, he wouldn't be either.

"So Reeve. How are you and Shalua coming along?"

"Don't push it, Vincent……"

* * *

I am totally loving Shalua's character. I hate the fact that she died. her and Reeve would have so made the perfect pair. What do yu guys think? 


	16. Layers

Hey! What's up guys? Another long wait for this chapter, but I must tell you all something! I'm finished!!!!!!! Yippie yay! (jumps around wildly) I've **finally** finished this story! Now I can post the chapters at will, without having to think of what's gonna happen next And to all those who asked at what point in the game I'm ending this, guess what. It's a surprise!!!! (sticks out tongue and grins).

Many thanks to the you reviewers and readers! Hope you keep it up

And one more thing. Isn't Captain Jack Sparrow the sexiest man who has ever walked the earth? I just saw POTC 3 again (this time in English), and I am just so in love with the goddamn movie, it's crazy!

So. I'll try and update as regularly as possible ( Haha…funny joke, right?), and until then…..

….Cheers!

Kyyrin

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

"_Hm. I must admit, Reeve picked quite a scenic location to build this place",_ Vincent mused silently.

He sat with his back against a metal wall, somewhere on the roof of the headquarters overlooking the stunning natural wonder that surrounded the complex. A raging river rushed past beneath the entrance structure. All around, one could admire the jungle and mountains to the right, and the vast wastelands to the right. Dozens of waterfalls adorned the nooks and crannies of the many cliffs. A thin layer of mist hung over the land and the sun climbed in the distance, indicating it was mid-morning.

Vincent had 'graduated' from being bed ridden, to exploring the headquarters, and had granted himself the permission to wander outdoors. He knew he shouldn't, really. Even though he had recovered rapidly, his immune system still wasn't as in shape as he would like it. The days of illness and injury had taken a toll on him

After countless doses of antibiotics, and more meds than he had ever taken in his life, Vincent began to feel his strength return. The fever vanished, along with the cough, the sore throat and the lingering cold. He jocked most of it up to his speedy healing abilities, but decided it was just as much the care he was given that was helping him heal. Though he'd had to room in the med ward, as the WRO had lost any spare rooms to Deepground siege.

Sighing audibly, he absently rubbed Cerberus. Reeve would be pretty pissed if he found out him out here. Shalua would **kill **him if she found out. But Vincent couldn't remain cooped up inside forever. Though he didn't mind being indoors, he longed for the freedom that the outside world offered.

He had decided to embark on his journey to Nibelheim tomorrow. He hadn't told Reeve or Shalua about it yet, but he supposed he would have to sooner or later. Or maybe not. He had thanked them already, in his own way. Perhaps it would be better to just leave unnoticed. Then he would avoid any awkward questions such as, "do you need assistance?", or "will you be alright?". Vincent didn't think he could stomach any more comments like that. Although it had actually been……..nice……to have people looking after him for a change, he decided that he'd had enough of it to last for quite some time.

Stretching his legs idly, he closed his eyes and began to drift off. It was hard not to in such a serene setting.

* * *

"Shalua?", Reeve peeked into his girlfriend's spacious lab, searching for her. "You there?" He spied Shelke, still unconscious in the only surviving healing tube. A sadness filled his eyes. He only hoped she wouldn't overreact when she found out where she was. 

"Over here, Reeve", a muffled voice called from somewhere inside. "I mean, under here."

Reeve cocked an eyebrow as Shalua rolled out from underneath the desk that supported her computer, tools in hand.

"I'm trying to salvage what's left of this thing so that maybe I can start working again, hm? And instead of standing there gawking, you actually could help me. I mean, you probably have about a thousand other things to do, but I thought I might ask…….", she stated, giving him a half grin.

Reeve smiled back.

"Actually, I've helped everyone and everything else all I can for the moment", he stooped down beside her and kissed her cheek gently. "And I always have time for you"

"But actually…..", a frown appeared on Reeve's face. "….I was wondering if you knew where Vincent's gotten to. He's not in the med ward, or anywhere else in the headquarters that I've checked……."

"Well, Reeve, inside isn't always an option, if….", Shalua trailed off, annoyance and worry beginning to build on her pretty features. "…….goddamnit, if he's outside I swear I'll kill him……."

She flew into a standing position, and grabbed Reeve's hand, entwining her fingers with his. Dragging him out of her lab, she locked the door behind her and pulled him down the various halls.

"Shalua, what are you----?"

"Reeve, I assure you. If I find him outside, he's going to be **hearing **it from me! We've worked our asses off this past week caring for him, and now he's gone sitting outside in the cold to get sick again! Doesn't it annoy you?", she threw a glance at him and quickened her pace.

"Well, yes but-----"

"No, **not **'well, yes but'. I'll make sure he hears it from you too. And then I'll make sure he puts on a good amount of warm clothing before he feels the need to go anywhere else."

And with that, the two of them walked through the destroyed main entrance, bent on finding their friend.

* * *

Vincent bolted awake at the sound of his name being yelled nearby. 

Blinking to clear his line of sight, and listening more closely, he could hear that his name was accompanied by a series of threats.

"VINCENT VALENTINE! Are you up here somewhere? Cause if you are, I am going to **kick. your. ass.**"

Blast. Shalua.

"Erm, Vincent? You might want to make your way down here……if you happen to be up there……are you?"

And Reeve.

Cursing inwardly at his being so stupid as to fall asleep on the roof, of all places, he pondered how to deal with the situation. Rolling his eyes, he fished out his phone, hit the speed dial for Reeve's number and held the accessory to his ear, waiting.

He heard it ring a few times in the distance, before Reeve answered.

"Vincent? Hello? Where are you?"

"Relax, Reeve. And tell Shalua to as well. I **am **on the roof and I **will **come down. I apologize for worrying you both." Vincent ended the call and flipped the phone shut, hiding it once again underneath his cloak.

He stood, and walked a few steps, turning a bend, only to come face to face with an extremely angry looking Shalua, followed by Reeve who gave him a weak smile and look that said something along the lines of, 'good luck, cause you're gonna need it'.

Shalua eyed him with a ferocity he had never seen her display before.

"Vincent Valentine…..", she began in a tone that almost made Vincent flinch.

Almost.

"Are you at **all **grateful for the care we've given you? **Are you**?" Her glare broke every single one of Vincent's barriers. He still didn't know how she'd been able to manage that.

"Shalua, of course I-----", he tried to argue but was simultaneously cut off by the feisty women again.

"Of **course** you are. I know. And that explains **why** you are sitting out here in the cold after your immune system has just been through a week of hell. Do you think exposing yourself to the elements after a nasty bout of pneumonia is going to help you recover? I'd really like to know just **what **you were thinking when you came out here…….especially wearing those thin clothes……", she trailed off, striding over to him, staring into his face and grabbing a handful of his cloak as if to prove her point.

He averted his eyes. It had been quite some time since he'd been reprimanded. He wasn't quite sure what to answer. Should he tell her what he'd been thinking, or should he just apologize again? Confused, he looked at her and decided that the latter would be his best bet.

"Shalua. Reeve. I **am** sorry. I just……I felt so restricted…..and locked up inside. I needed some……space", he desperately glanced in Reeve's direction for a little support. If anyone knew him well enough to know he didn't stay in one place long, it would be Reeve. But his friend didn't seem keen on getting involved in the heated argument. Reeve just looked at Vincent helplessly, as if to say 'you're on your own, man'.

"_Well you're helpful, Reeve",_ Vincent thought sarcastically, shooting a glare in his direction. His anger was quite short lived, however. He figured if he were in Reeve's position, he wouldn't want to get in Shalua's way at the moment either.

Turning back, he saw, to his surprise, that Shalua's angry gaze had softened. It had now become one of understanding and sympathy. But not all the annoyance had vanished. She walked up to him, and took hold of his hand. He stiffened and weakly tried to pull away, to no avail. Shalua had tightened her hold and began walking back in the direction of the headquarters.

"Shalua….?"

"Reeve, I need to borrow Vincent for a while. I hope you don't mind. The weather's nice, so why don't you go sit on the roof for a while?"

When Reeve just stared at her, she went on.

"And I hope you won't miss any clothes I find that fit him".

* * *

An hour later, Shalua had raided Reeve's closet to find suitable and fitting clothing for Vincent to wear. She displayed it in front of him, on the bed, and it clearly seemed she wouldn't take no for an answer. 

"Shalua….please….", Vincent started half-heartedly. He really didn't know how to convey to her that he didn't want to, and wouldn't give up his attire for this amount of flimsy clothing. "You cannot seriously expect me to wear this……..I am quite comfortable and warm wearing what I have on at the moment. Please reconsider trying to force me to-----"

"Vincent. Did I say you had to wear these **instead** of your outfit? No, I don't recall mentioning that. I do, however, expect you to where at least three layers **underneath** it. I have no clue to where you are planning on taking off to next, but it's cool outside this time of the year and your still recuperating from that illness. Please, I'm…..begging you. Just comply this once. It's for your own good, really…….", she trailed off, a pleading look in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to resort to begging, but if this was the only way she got anywhere with this man…….

Vincent's resolves crumbled.

He couldn't play the stubborn bastard any longer. All she asked of him was to wear some more things underneath his. She was just trying to help him. Sighing, he nodded weakly and made to gather up the clothes.

"Not so fast, Valentine", she sang, pushing his hands away. "You're gonna change into them right here right now and I will make sure you change into them before you leave to go on **any** adventure. I you don't, I swear to the great Bahamut himself I will hunt you down and shoot you."

Vincent blinked and stared at her blankly.

"You will……….pardon me?"

"Exactly what I said. I will shoot you if you don't put those clothes on. Understood?", she cracked a smile before she could stop herself. The expression on his face was just so damn priceless.

Vincent was fully aware that his mouth hung wide open, and that his usually expressionless face now sported a look of uttered disbelief. He couldn't believe she had actually just threatened to **shoot **him. Him. He thought he was the gunman here.

"**Now** you can have the clothes, Vincent, and you can go change in the bathroom. Well, go on! What's stopping you?", she continued, pushing the fabrics into his hands when he didn't move a muscle.

"I…..well…..Shalua….."

"Planet, Vincent, don't start that. Just go change."

Shalua pushed the clothes into his arms, and all but shoved him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

As he put on his layers of clothing, Vincent realized that he felt a bit shaken up by the events that had occurred in the past hour. 

Shalua had basically taken charge of everything and anything that had to do with him, and hadn't backed down till she'd finished. He was unused to this, but he was beginning to think it wasn't so bad after all. Maybe Reeve wasn't the only one who needed a kick in the ass……..

A strange feeling began to build inside him.

He needed to leave.

As soon as possible.

Not because he hated it here, but because he was becoming attached to the place. He had grown to enjoy spending time with Shalua and Reeve everyday. It had been something of a distraction from Deepground and from his endless inner turmoil. But he couldn't run away from his problems forever.

And above all, he couldn't stay here. As each day passed, he cherished his friends more and more, which would make it all the more unbearable if something happened to them. His mere presence here was endangering their safety.

Yes. Nibelheim had been a good choice.

And why put it off?

It was then that Vincent decided he would leave that evening.

The decision was final.

* * *

Shalua shut the door behind her, grinning widely. There. She'd done it. She'd forced her way into his comfort zone and triumphed. 

But little by little, the triumphant grin turned into a sad smile. He would go soon. She knew it. She could tell by the way he acted, by the emotions in his eyes. They couldn't hold him here forever. He had a job to do, as did they. She found it something of a pity that Reeve hadn't kept in touch with Vincent for so long. Shalua though she would have liked to meet him sooner, and perhaps not under such awkward circumstances.

She sighed, and walked to the only window in Reeve's room, staring at the noon sun that hung high in the sky.

He would leave them before the day was over. That much was certain.

Shalua swallowed the lump in her throat. As much as she adored Reeve, Vincent had grown on her as well. Not as a love interest, but as a very dear friend. It would be difficult to part with him that much was sure. It dawned to her that he might think the same as well. And knowing Vincent, he might not even say goodbye to them for fear that it would be too painful.

No. She wouldn't let that happen.

Looking up, renewed vigor coursed through Shalua's veins.

If he wouldn't say goodbye to her, then she would to him, no matter how painful it would be.

* * *

And that bit about Shalua dying. Well, I seemed like she did, but I guess it wasn't really certain. I hope that maybe by some "miracle"...that she isn't 


	17. Shalom

Hellooo everyone. Well then. I'm **not **one for procrastrination, so I'm going to get to the point.

This is the last chapter, and there's also an Epilogue that's gonna come with it. I know and I really am sorry, but if I had known that you guys wanted me to continue on longer, I probably wouldn't have written this the way I did. And I do have a reason.

See, I wrote the ending bit a rather long time ago, so it was already finished when I posted the first chapter of the story. I basically knew how it was going to end all along. I just didn't realize that there was going to be such an amazingly positive response (for which I'm very thankful).

Yeah...so thats the way it is, guys. Sorry bout that. I was reading all the reviews and I was like, "Shit. I am going to have **such **a hard time ending this". Well, thats the way the cookie crumbles, I guess.

Buuuuuuut...

If you guys are all so eager to to read more, I suppose I could always do a sequel. I mean, I have at least a bit of spare time on my hands, so it definately wouldn't be hard to compose one. What I would appreciate however, would be some ideas or thoughts on what you would all like to see in the sequel. So review away!

Well, Cheers and (well not goodbye yet. I'll still post an Authors note at the very end.)

Thank you too all the reviewers and non-reviewers as well! Even if you didn't review, I'm happy that you read it

Enjoy the rest!

Kyyrin

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Vincent stalked towards the entrance of the WRO headquarters. He needed answers. And he had already worked out where the one place to get them was.

He turned at a familiar voice behind him.

"Vincent! Where are you…?"

"Nibelheim", he cut Reeve off with ease, not wanting to start another argument.

"Wait. Shinra Manor? But that…is…where…understood. However, be on your guard. We have reports of Deepground units deployed in that area. If you wish to enter the manor in one piece, I suggest you use the sewer system extending from the old mako reactor", Reeve replied gazing at his friend intently.

"Sewer? How appropriate is that?", Vincent muttered sarcastically and turned to go.

"Hey! Wait a second, Vincent!", Reeve called in an amused voice. "Don't think I'm going to let you off scot-free!"

Vincent turned and stared. What the hell did Reeve mean by that?

His friend walked up to him, and pulled a warm-looking, black scarf out from behind his back.

Vincent let out a barely audible groan of exasperation.

"Reeve……"

First Shalua, and now Reeve? He had put up with it because it was Shalua, but Reeve of all people knew he wouldn't………

"Wait. Just hear me out, Vincent. It's freezing this time of year in Nibelheim. Just think of it as a……..gift. You can wear it….underneath that cape of yours", Reeve stated enthusiastically, all but shoved the soft material into Vincent's hands.

At this, Vincent relented. Reeve had done so much for him. If he didn't accept the scarf, Reeve would probably view it as an insult. And the last thing Vincent wanted was to have his friend angry with him again.

He opened his hands and clasped the item that was being pushed into them.

"Hm. Thank you…….Reeve", he rasped softly.

Returning his gaze back to his friend, he realized Reeve was still looking at him expectantly. Oh Planet. He didn't expect him to put it on in front of him, did he? Apparently he did.

Sighing resignedly, Vincent unbuckled the front of his ruby cloak, and wound the scarf around his neck. He redid the clasps on his cape, making sure no one could see the rather comfortable accessory underneath.

He glanced back at Reeve, who was now giving him a large smile.

"Well thank you Vincent! That really made my day!", Reeve stated brightly.

Vincent eyed him questioningly. How could something as simple as that make Reeve's day?

"I honestly thought you weren't going to wear it. I was thinking maybe your pride would get the better of you again", Reeve chided, still smiling.

Vincent averted his eyes. His pride was something he would need to work on. And he guessed now was as good a time as any. He was grateful for what Reeve had done for him, after all.

"Reeve….", Vincent began, not entirely sure how to continue. It had been a while since he had pulled a genuine "thank you" speech.

"I….I honestly appreciate everything you and Shalua did for me. I know I'm……..not easy to handle at times, but the two of you persisted. I suppose I'm in your debt now. If there's anything I can do…….." he trailed off when he noticed the look on Reeve's face. The emotions in his eyes. Vincent almost envied him for possessing the power to convey his feelings like that. It was almost magical how much there was to be seen in those grey-green orbs. The same look Reeve had given him before he fought Azul

It was a look of gratitude, of compassion, kindness maybe. All in all, it seemed Reeve was just happy to see him on his feet again. That was obviously enough for him.

They stared at each other, Vincent, albeit a little confused. How could Reeve possibly not want anything in return?

"I guess…..what I really want to say is……thank you, Reeve. Thank you both for saving my life." He didn't doubt the fact he might have possibly been dead at the moment, demons or not, had Reeve and Shalua not cared for him like they did. If the injuries hadn't killed him, the illness would have done the job.

He started a bit when Reeve spoke.

"Vincent……….Oh Vincent, you're not in debt to me at all. If anything, I repaid my debt to you!"

Vincent raised an eyebrow, and looked at his friend in astonishment, not bothering to hide the emotion.

"Pardon?", he managed, staring at the man in front of him as if he had turned into a giant mog.

"You've saved my life more times then I count. Not just during the siege on the Headquarters, but in the Wastelands, and also……three years ago. When you helped Cait, it was almost as if you helped me as well. And Shalua. I mean, you were ready to give your life for her. You made sure her and her sister came to no harm. Vincent, if that isn't selfless, then I don't know what is!", Reeve trailed off, studying his friend's face to make sure he understood.

"And that's not all. I believe I owe you an apology. As well as an acceptance to yours. It was selfish and cruel of me to treat you like that, after all you'd done to help. I don't deny that you said things that were rude and hurtful, but how I treated you afterwards was uncalled for. I apologize, and I hope you forgive me. Now as far as the acceptance goes, it must have taken all the willpower you had to apologize to me like you did. And I never acknowledged it. It practically broke my heart that you were out there fighting, under the impression that I may never speak to you again. So I'm accepting your apology now and I forgive you. I fervently hope you'll also forgive me for not voicing it sooner. You're not the only one who's tough to deal with at times…….." Reeve finished, looking at Vincent hopefully. He had needed to hear that. He needed to know it wasn't always his fault.

"I……I…", Vincent simply stuttered, completely unsure of what to say. Reeve had just poured his heart out to him. What was he to say to that?

Reeve chuckled softly. It seemed he was achieving wonder after wonder in such a short period, and was still living to see it. This time, he had struck the stoic Vincent Valentine speechless.

Vincent argued with his emotions. Never in his life had he been asked to forgive another. It was always him asking others for forgiveness. He was the sinner. But now, Reeve had turned the tables drastically. Vincent knew what his friend had said was true, but he couldn't seem to get those three simple words out of his mouth.

I forgive you.

He had never been the one doing the forgiving before.

Swallowing, he tore his eyes away from Reeve. This whole situation reminded him rather painfully of some conversations that he'd had with Lucrecia in the crystal cave. But now, speaking with a living, breathing person, he had no clue what to do. This wasn't the first time this week that he had been rendered speechless. Reeve, however, seemed to notice his discomfort.

"Vincent, it's alright. Even if you don't say it out loud, I don't think I would be too bold in saying that you'd forgive me mentally. I know the story of your life. If it's too hard for you to say it now, then I'm sure you'll learn it……..in time", Reeve spoke the last words with an almost inaudible undertone of sadness, although Vincent was sure he hadn't done it purposely. It was then that Vincent realized what Reeve meant by "in time".

And it startled him.

"In time", meant that if he didn't learn it now, he would certainly have all the time in the world. Hojo had made him immortal, after all.

"In time" meant that if Vincent didn't learn it now, he would watch his friends die around him without ever being able to voice his feelings and emotions. It would be too late.

"In time" it was now or never.

And Vincent was not a procrastinator.

As his friend turned to go, Vincent found his voice.

"Reeve……", his voice was now unnaturally strong and confidant. Usually it was a quiet whisper, but he needed to have his friend's full attention.

Reeve turned and looked at him, waiting.

"Reeve, I forgive you." The words came out a bit faster than he had wanted, but he decided there was no point in stalling anyways. He was rewarded however, when Reeve's jaw dropped rather unbecomingly, an expression that quickly gave way to sparkling eyes and a wide smile.

"Well, that's…..I mean, that's good to hear, Vincent", his friend exclaimed, a bit flustered. He obviously hadn't expected Vincent's interpretation of "in time" to mean immediately.

Before Vincent could reply, Reeve walked up to him and placed a hand on both his shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes as he did so.

"Vincent, take care of yourself. And I mean that. You scared us more than you can imagine this week. At one point we both thought……", he trailed off, unable to complete the sentence, but once again, his eyes told the rest for him. He and Shalua had been more than just worried; they had been frightened for his life.

"So please, Vince…..just be careful, alright?"

The use of the Yuffie invented nickname made him cringe a bit, but before he could complain, a different voice cut him off.

"Please, Reeve. I think he gets the picture."

Both men whipped around, coming face to face with Shalua, who was looking at them pensively, with a hint of amusement.

"So. You thought you would leave without saying goodbye, Valentine? Well then I guess you won't mind if I accompany you outside then. See you off and all", with that, she strolled in the direction of the entrance doors.

Vincent smirked slightly, and Reeve gaped. Shalua was like that. It was true, Vincent hadn't properly said goodbye to her, but hadn't expected her to come out of her own free will either. She obviously cared more than he thought.

Once he was certain she was out of earshot, he bent down to Reeve, who was still standing in front of him, and whispered, "I'll be careful, but the same goes for you. And good luck with that……", he gestured towards Shalua with a slight tip of the head. "Tell me how it goes".

The last thing Vincent saw before he walked out of the headquarters was Reeve giving him a nervous smile, and turning a few different shades of red.

Vincent walked out to meet a dazzling sunset. It was similar to the one he had shared with Lucrecia all those years ago.

Shalua stood on the beams above the stairs, watching the nature's majestic display of colour with a half-smile on her face.

For a fleeting moment, he could almost see Lucrecia mirrored in her image.

Walking over to her, he stood next to a woman who was not only beautiful, but one he could sincerely label as being among the most selfless beings on the Planet. No wonder Reeve was head over heels in love with her. Their personalities fit together perfectly. His mastermind of a friend was just as self-sacrificing as she was.

"You're special, Vincent", came her smooth, gentle voice. "Don't ever forget that. There's a reason for your existence, I'm sure of it. You need to live. How would feel about not knowing that reason before you died? Your reason to live. You have to be sure about it. I know I am. My reason is healing in my lab at the moment. Now I can die in peace knowing I've found her."

So. Shelke had been Shalua's reason to live. He had guessed as much. Looking at her, he knew he had to express his heartfelt gratitude to her as well.

"Thank you, Shalua. You have helped me…….more than you know." Then he tried what he had seen Reeve do. He attempted to convert all the words he wanted to say into emotions, and channel the out to her through his eyes. It must have worked, for she commented.

"I can see that. I can see it indeed……..", she murmured softly, looking into the crimson spheres that held so much depth. "You're most welcome. And I suppose I have to thank you as well. For rescuing my sister. Without your combat skills………"

He didn't mention the fact that without her potion, he wouldn't have been able to achieve what he had. He had already thanked her for that. So he settled for a different response.

"Hm. Anytime."

Shalua's one eye began to sparkle mischievously.

"Oh really, Mr. Valentine? Anytime. Hmmmmm. I'll have to take you up on that offer sometime. I have a few problems that could be taken care of………", she trailed off, laughing at his expression.

He grimaced, fully aware of how idiotic he must look at the moment.

"_Bite your tongue for future reference, Valentine"_, he thought to himself rather annoyed, but also hopelessly amused.

"And I hope you took my threat yesterday seriously", she began in a stern tone. "Because I really did mean I would shoot you if you didn't put on all the layers of clothing I gave you……..with tranquilliser darts had the need arisen, but I would have, mark my words…….", she cocked an eyebrow and gave him a stare, almost daring him to argue.

Without thinking, he mumbled, "Would have had to catch me first."

Shalua's eyes widened considerably in enjoyment, and she burst out laughing. He let his eyes twinkle a bit. Her good mood was proving to be a bit contagious.

"Vincent Valentine! Was that something **funny **I just heard? Coming from **you**?", she managed between giggles.

He couldn't stop the small smile that through his usually emotionless mask, rather happy that his cloak hid it. He enjoyed conversing with this woman. It lifted his normally morose disposition considerably.

Hating to say goodbye, he knew the conversation had to be cut short. There were questions that he desperately needed answers to, and Deepground wouldn't lie low much longer.

"Shalua. I suppose I will take my leave now. I have to continue searching…….for answers. You understand, I hope." He knew she did. He could now count her to one of the few people who knew him well. And for that he was thankful.

"Alright…..well then. I don't want to be sounding like Reeve, but don't do anything stupid. I'd hate to see back in the med ward…….." Her voice had become soft again, now tinged with a hint of sadness. And he knew he had been right when he told Reeve she had been worried.

"Hm. I will make an effort not too. And…….Shalua. Take care of yourself as well. And your sister……..", he paused, wondering if he should continue. Deciding it wouldn't hurt, he did. "…….and Reeve."

He saw a flicker of foreign emotions in Shalua's eye, which he guessed were affection.

She gave him a soft smile, and nodded slowly.

"I will. They're both…….dear to me."

Vincent nodded back, and turned to go. He reached the steps before Shalua called out to him.

"Vincent, wait!"

He stopped and looked back slowly. Shalua came to stand in front of him. The feelings he experienced next were odd, and difficult to comprehend, but comforting at the same time.

Taking both his hands in hers, metal claw and human arm, Shalua looked deeply into his eyes, and standing on the tips of her toes, leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, exactly where Lucrecia had so long ago. She shortly wrapped her arms around his waist in an embrace afterwards.

Not waiting for him to return it, she let go, and gazing into his eyes again, turned and walked towards the entrance doors.

Vincent stood stunned, staring at her retreating back. This was affection he hadn't experienced in thirty-three years. How did she know that he needed to feel loved at that moment? His eyes couldn't have told her that, could they?

No.

It took him a while, standing there basking in the sunset, to realize what it had been. His eyes, his face hadn't given him away.

It had been his heart.

Turning, ruby cape fluttering in the gentle breeze, he walked away from the headquarters and into the world beyond, almost as though he had stepped out of a dream.

And he was……..

………at peace.

* * *

I'd really like to know how you all liked that. Hope it wasn't too...oh I don't know. Tell me what you all think (smile).


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Vincent Valentine dropped into the Nibelheim sewers with a splash.

He eyed the murky water in disgust.

"_Valentine, you have the ability to get yourself into the most amazing situations", _he thought glumly. _"And next time, keep your brilliant ideas to yourself, Reeve"_.

Damn was he glad that he took up Shalua's offer on that waterproof spray……..stuff. And thankful for the fact that she had threatened to shoot him if he didn't put on those three layers of warm clothing on underneath his normal attire. He snorted softly. It had been an empty threat, but still. It was downright freezing here.

He removed his glove and unconsciously fingered the scarf Reeve had given him, which was now wrapped around his neck under his cape of course. Planet forbid anyone saw him wearing a scarf.

Feeling the warm fabric in his human hand, and profound gratefulness at the fact that his clothes were **not** soaked through, he managed a feat uncharacteristic for his reputation.

He gave a genuine smile. One that reached his crimson eyes. And with that smile came a feeling he had not felt in a long time. It was miniscule at first, but then grew larger.

It was the feeling of self-worth.

Perhaps he did have, as Shalua had called it, a "reason to live" after all. Not just for Lucrecia, but for all others that were dear to him. All the people that he held close in his slowly mending heart.

"Hm……", he mused distantly, as he entered the dark sewer passage.

It was good to have friends.

**The End**

* * *

So my friends. 

Thanks for coming along for the ride, and thanks for all the reviews. It really made me happy that my first ever fanfiction endeaveour was a success!

I'll be patiently awaiting any ideas or thoughts on the sequel, and unless you guys wanna keep in touch (see e-mail address), I bid you all farewell and will now enjoy my vacation.(Note that I am writing this in an internet café in Italy with an Italien keyboard, so I tried my best to keep any grammatical errors at a minimum.

Well then. I'll stop talking.

Until next time! It's been fun!

Ciao Bellas! (And the guys too. I just don't know how to sayb that in Italien. Bello, maybe? (grins))


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